July 2008 Archives

That's all for today. Thanks for watching. I'm probably going to try again tomorrow afternoon with a different equipment set up.

In teh meantime, I just learned that the California Highway Patrol was called to the DMV in West Covina to quell angry customers who were turned away at 3 p.m. by office workers who said they couldnt' handle the case load due to budget cuts.

Photographer Mike Mullen was there and took some excellent shots, which will likely be displayed in a gallery later tonight.

Later on this afternoon, we will stream some live video from the newsroom to the Crime Scene blog.

The stream is a test of a plan I'm trying to work out for some court coverage.

My idea is that if we can make it work effectively, there might be some trials we could cover here or elsewhere on the SGVN Web site via streamed Internet Video. Got any ideas?

Let me know.

Ice cream trucks sometimes freak me out. Years ago I wrote a story about a La Puente ice cream man who was also the neighorhood molester. He got busted and we ran the story way inside for politically correct reasons.

Anyway as I was driving home Wednesday night I got behind this ice cream truck and it's large warning that read CAUTION CHILDREN.

I was wondering about the lack of puncuation. Should it read Caution, children. Or Caution. Children.

???

 

 

If the person who decorated this wall on Orange Avenue in West Covina gets caught, he or she will be responsible for the clean up, according to a law signed by Gov. Arnold Wednesday.  This from LAist:

When a tagger gets sentenced, it's up to the judge whether or not being on a clean up crew is part of the punishment or not. Soon, it will be mandatory after Governor Schwarzenegger signed some new graffiti legislation sponsored by Los Angeles that forces part of their punishment to be cleaning graffiti. City officials say graffiti has increased significantly in the past few years, from "25 million square feet of graffiti-stained surfaces in 2005 to 31.7 million in the year that ended June 30,"

This is what we'll be reporting:

Brett Nichols, who admitted to shooting a Rosemead man then dumping his body in nearby hills, is out of custody. The person he shot, 22-year-old David Rotela, may now face charges.

Here's a little more information on the story, which ran on the front page of today's Tribune.

This comes from an account of the Spanish exploration of California under Gaspar de Portola, the first governor of California.

As the expedition entered Orange County on July 28, 1769, they experienced a series of violent earthquakes that changed the course of the Santa Ana River. They prayed and watched the native Indians do the same. As a result the account notes that:

Father Crespi later wrote that at that very moment a violent earthquake struck and the river was thus proclaimed Rio de Los Dulcime Nombre de Jesus de Los Temblores.

An earthquake Web site cataloging earthquakes through history notes:

The earthquake history of California serendipitously begins with the first overland expedition through the State in 1769. In response to the perceived threat posed by Russian expansion into the northern Pacific and growing British presence in the northwestern Pacific, Spain embarked on the colonization of present-day California through the establishment of a series of Franciscan missions, supported by military garrisons at San Diego and Monterey. In the summer of 1769, Gaspar de Portola led the first expedition from San Diego to establish a land route to Monterey.

On July 28, while camped along the Santa Ana River, about 50 km southeast of Los Angeles, a sharp earthquake was felt that "*** lasted about half as long as an Ave Maria." From the diaries of three members of the expedition, we know that earthquakes were felt on nearly a daily basis through August 3, as the party traveled northwestward to near San Gabriel and then westward across Los Angeles to the Pacific. The diary of Fray Juan Crespi (Bolton, 1927) mentions no fewer than a dozen aftershocks, some described as violent. After August 4, no further earthquakes were mentioned as the expedition traveled into the San Fernando Valley and exited to the north.

I didn't understand where the LA Times was going with it's earthquake story this morning. Even though the story had A1 placement, the lede was long and convoluted. The photos were beautiful though. Especially the image of a worker cleaning glass from a broken window at Pomona City Hall.

The story didn't even crack A1 in the New York Times, instead it led with the indictment of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. The quake (and another nice photo of Pomona City Hall) story is on A11.

Interestingly, the NY Times quake story cites Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. John Saleeby, of the Walnut Diamond Bar substation as a source.

They should have called him months ago. -- He's known among reporters in this newsroom for famously saying: "Nothing's going on. But I'm waiting for the big one. It's coming any day now. I'm sure you've read about it in Bible."

Well Lt. Saleeby, nice call. But there are those who still claim the temblor wasn't a "Big One" just moderate. 

 

We heard this go down over the scanner Tuesday afternoon. It's an interesting story especially when paired with the tale of a homicide in Century City.

Here's some of the Rosemead tale:  

ROSEMEAD - A man was stabbed and robbed of a briefcase full of diamond engagement rings Tuesday, authorities said.

The crime was reported about 5:20 p.m. in the 3600 block of Rosemead Boulevard, Los Angles County sheriff's Lt. Mike O'Shea said.

A man was approached by three Latino men wearing bandanas over their faces and dark hooded sweat shirts, O'Shea said.

One of the suspects pulled a knife and stabbed the victim in his left arm and the robbers grabbed his briefcase, which was filled with diamond engagement rings, O'Shea said.

The victim is believed to be either a jewelry dealer or maker who stopped for dinner on his way to meet clients, he added.

Then there's this story from Century City: 

When the server died Tuesday, posts on Crime Scene disappeared with it.

I saved the posts and some photos from the quake, which are posted here.

Some buildings at Mt. SAC remain closed this morning, officials said. Damage assesment teams continue to sift through the rubble to determine the suitability of several structures on campus. But classes remain open.

Pomona City Hall reopened this morning, officials there said.

We're on the story again today.

Our blog servers took a hit during the quake today, so I've been posting on sgvcrime.blogspot.com

I'll try to move the posts over as soon as possible. Meanwhile. here's some updated information....

As many as 11 minor injuries.

Damage to buildings in Pomona including City Hall and the Superior Courthouse.

Damage to as many as 40 buildings on the campus at Mt. SAC. An evacuation was ordered for the Administration building due to a gas leak.

There are some interesting maps out there and some interesting graphics and YouTube Videos.  from a San Dimas bike shop.

 

A massage parlor offering massages by "lovely Asian girls" and "professional and cute Asian girls." has run afoul of the Duarte City Council, according to a story by Nathan McIntire.

I love this paragraph from the story, which is still being edited:

Duarte Acupuncture Center is listed as an "erotic massage parlor" by an online escort listing service. Reviews from patrons posted to that site describe sexual acts that were allegedly performed there.

Well, no wonder they are in trouble ...I'll post a link to the story when it goes live.

A guy accused of stealing posters outside a Michigan movie theater had an interesting get up. he was dressed as the Joker. Seems the cops got the last laugh, making him pose for a mug shot in character. He doesn't look too happy to me though.

Here's the story from Three Rivers Mi:

THREE RIVERS -- An overzealous Joker fan was taken into custody Sunday morning after attempting to steal movie posters and other items, police said.

Spencer Taylor, 20, of Three Rivers, was arrested on felony larceny and malicious destruction of property charges after trying to steal memorabilia of the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight" at the Three Rivers 6 theater.

Taylor was dressed in  makeup resembling the "Joker."

 

Marcelino Corniel lost his life in the Iraq war. IndyMac then lost between $71,000 and $36,000 of the $370,000 life insurance policy Corniel purchased to ensure the livelihood of his family.

.

I can't say that I was shocked so much as I was disappointed when I viewed reader responses on our website. Some comments blamed Corniel's mother, Elaine Lopez, for investing poorly, while others seemed to equate losing a son in war with winning the lottery.

I don't dispute that Lopez could have invested her money more wisely, but at the same time it's not like she went out and bought a Cadillac. Lopez placed $70,000 in a money market checking account and the remaining $300,000 in a CD, from which she used the $1450 a month interest yield to sustain her family.

I believe Lopez, when she says that IndyMac Bank managers persuaded her not to withdraw the money by claiming the addition of a third beneficiary would insure the entire sum.

The Monday after the news of Indy Mac's financial trouble broke, I went to Indy Mac and spoke with patrons. My questions were met by belligerent customers who informed me that bank representatives warned them against speaking with the press, and cited the media as a cause for Indy Mac's problems. Funny, I don't remember receiving a check from Indy Mac for managing their stocks to 23 cents a share, what they were prior to any article running.

Despite my Ivy League education, the hours I spent reading regulations, the two interviews I conducted with securities lawyers, and numerous calls to the Federal Deposit Insurance Company, I still fail to understand how the FDIC is not returning somewhere between $36,000 and $71,000 of Lopez's money.

Sure, Lopez was naïve for taking the word of a bank manager. But I bet she wasn't the only one to lose money because of promises made by IndyMac representatives. It's possible that IndyMac's employee's weren't intentionally deceiving Lopez. Maybe bank officials just didn't comprehend the same regulations that two securities lawyers, and a financial adviser failed to understand well enough to answers my questions.  But should incompetence excuse so-called officials from accountability?

When did regulations start to cloud our understanding of right and wrong? After all regulations are created by men, frequently flawed, and certainly subject to change.

Some have argued that Lopez should feel lucky to still have $300,000. Why? Because her son went to great lengths to protect his family? The $370,000 wasn't a gift from the government or a death benefit, but something that Corniel payed for with both his money and life.

Despite promises that he would be a recruiter, and by the spring of 2005 Corniel was back in Iraq, stationed with the 184^th Infantry out of Fullerton, CA..The 184^th was sustaining heavy causalities when Corniel decided to purchase the additional $170,000 in life insurance.

As an Iraq veteran, I knew a lot of servicemen who declined to pay the $40 a month for the  $250,000 in Serviceman's Group Life Insurance. At the same time I was never aware of anyone who sought additional life insurance. But Corniel, who was the patriarch of his family, wanted to ensure that his two younger sisters and mother were taken care of in the event of his death.

On New Years Eve  of 2005, most 23-year-old-Americans were drinking themselves into stupors while Corniel was defending their freedom to do so. As a former Marine attached to "Killer" company, Corniel had already seen a good deal of combat. But unlike some men, he didn't try to get a family hardship discharge and avoid his second tour. Corniel sacrificed his life for our freedom, with the knowledge his family would be able survive in his absence.

Corniel's legacy was intended to send his sisters to college, and support his illmother, not pad the bank accounts of rich men, as some would argue his service did. I urge Americans to remember Corniel as they drive their yellow ribbon adorned sport utility vehicles. And think about the regulations that qualify the loss of his legacy, while justifying the outlandish incomes of IndyMac's executives.  In the end you can blame Lopez for mismanaging the money, but don't think it couldn't happen to you.

A parody of the Los Angeles Times Web site had me laughing this morning, especially this story about the "creepy" Burger King mascot, complete with mugshot:

For months, he'd been sneaking into customers' homes at dawn, disrupting their slumber with offers of cholesterol-rich breakfast items.

"People were definitely creeped out," an LAPD spokesman said. "But there wasn't much we could do besides tell them to get a restraining order."

Then, three months ago, the frozen-faced mascot apparently snapped, leaving a trail of bodies, blood and curly fries. Police were baffled at first - crime scene tests indicated the killer's DNA consisted solely of polystyrene resins and Thousand Island dressing. h/t Fishbowl LA 

 

Firefighters from several local agencies left for Mariposa County Sunday to help officials there battle the "Telegraph Fire," officials said.
A strike team led by Pasadena Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Dandridge was called to the fire Sunday afternoon, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
The strike team includes one engine from the Pasadena Fire Department, two engines from the Glendale Fire Department, one engine from the Monrovia Fire Department and one engine from the Monterey Park Fire Department, Derderian said.
The fast-spreading blaze has charred more than 18,000 acres since Friday as wooded slopes ignited amid hot, dry conditions that have plagued California for months. The fire was completely uncontained Sunday morning.
The wildfire led officials to order the evacuations of 170 homes under immediate threat. About 2,000 homes faced at least some danger from the fast-spreading flames.
Most of the evacuated homes are in the town of Midpines, located along Highway 140, about 12 miles from the park.
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said the southern edge of the blaze was as little as two miles from Mariposa, a town of about 1,800 residents.

NORWALK -- Five people were wounded at a party early Sunday when a man fired on a crowd with a shotgun, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 2 a.m. in the 11200 block of Adoree Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John Gannon said.
"(The shooter) fired four times into the crowd as people scattered and ran," he said.
One of the victims, 19-year-old Jason Ramirez, was shot in the "upper torso" and was hospitalized in critical condition, Gannon said.
After undergoing surgery, he was reportedly in stable condition, said Sgt. Ralph Gama.
Four others suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
Aaron Rincoln, 20, was also shot in the upper torso and suffered a head injury, Gannon said. Elmer Saravia, 20, was wounded in his legs, James Wilkerson, 23, was shot in the leg and wrist and Elizabeth Ramos, 23, suffered a grazing wound to her head.
Two of the wounded found their own transportation to the hospital, Gannon said.
None of the victims were believed to be gang members, however, officials believe the shooter may have gang ties, Gama said.
Preliminary reports indicated that the shooter and victims were all at a party together prior to the attack, Gannon said.
A fight broke out and the suspect retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun from his vehicle, then opened fire into a group of people, he said.
The shooter was described as a Latino man about 18-24 years old, between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 230-250 pounds, Gannon said.
After the shooting, attacker fled in an unknown vehicle, officials said.
Witnesses could not provide a description of the shooter's vehicle because they were all fleeing to avoid being shot, Gannon said.
"We do have leads that we're following up on," Gama said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Norwalk station at (562) 863-8711.

Another young Hollywood star has had a run in with the law. This time it's former Disney Channel star Shai LaBeouf, who recently appeared in an Indiana Jones flick.

Here's what Associated Press has to say:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Indiana Jones" co-star Shia LaBeouf was arrested for drunk driving Sunday after an early morning car accident in which he was injured, police said.

LaBeouf was the driver of a vehicle that was involved in a 3 a.m. collision in Hollywood, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. S. Wolf said.

"It was immediately apparent to officers responding on the scene that LaBeouf was intoxicated and he was subsequently placed under arrest," Wolf said.

LaBeouf and his passenger were injured, as was the other driver. Wolf didn't know the extent of their injuries.

Wolf said he didn't know if LaBeouf, 22, would face felony or misdemeanor charges.

This letter comes from Gloria Baptiste, sister of Shawn Baptiste, who was shot to death in Pasadena Fre. 7, 2007/ Baptiste was one of several killed during a spike of violence that took hold in Pasadena in 2007. Here's the letter:

 

During the week of July 14, 2008 a preliminary hearing took place at the Pasadena Superior Courthouse. The prosecution presented its evidence which included witness testimonies and audio tapings. At the end of the week-long proceedings the four men suspected of murder; Michael Grigsby, Jerrell Sanford, Jeremi Carr and Dwayne Rice, were formally charged with murder of Shawn Baptiste and attempted murder against the two men who were in the car with Shawn when the shooting took place. The case goes to trial August 1, 2008.

 

I know you probably get many stories similar to this, especially with the rising gang violence that has plagued Pasadena over the last 18 months. The violence has not only affected my family, but also the families of the other victims. However, what about the families of those who are guilty for these acts? What about the mothers of the four men on trial for the murder of my brother? Do they not grieve over the loss of their son? Do the men on trial not grieve over the loss of their future; their freedom?

Goddess of Pomona -- responsible for two posts today.  This one is a link to a film called Gang Boy, a 1950s tale of feuding gangs in a very different Pomona. The goddess writes:

The 1954 movie Gang Boy was filmed entirely in Pomona, and was based on a true Pomona story of a truce between gangs.

 

Nate McIntire's story on an ATM scam in Monrovia was pretty thorough and included some interesting information from local authorities. It developed from an email posted here last week that generated some interesting commentary on the Foothill Cities Blog.

Goddess of Pomona has a local tale from the victim's point of view that makes for a great read:

The first thing that was sort of odd, is that when I went inside the store to pay, no one was there, and it was a good two minutes before anyone came inside. The man who came inside did not have a name tag on and that sort of bothered me too. I paid by credit card and what was irregular about that was that it looked like a normal cash receipt, but there was no pre-printed line for my signature. Instead, the checker drew a line in pen along the side of the receipt and had me sign my name perpendicular to the rest of the receipt. I convinced myself that these irregularities were rather charming in a funky Pomona kind of way. The gas station was absent of any other customers, 'cept a woman and her teenage son in an old caddie.

Otherwise, the pump worked fine and the money I put in seemed to make my gas monitor go up to to the proper level.

Well, fast forward to tonight. A few minutes ago, I turned on the Channel 9 news to see the cashier at Fuel It Up being interviewed about an alleged credit card scam operating out of the gas station.

The county's report on hate crimes, which was released Thursday indicated a 28-percent rise in such incidents. This excerpt from our story gives some local flavor to the report:

The report said there were 94 hate crimes reported in the San Gabriel Valley and another 45 reported in the East Los Angeles area, which includes Montebello, Pico Rivera, La Mirada, Whittier and La Habra.

The spike, which comes as the Sheriff's Department and Los Angeles Police Department reported a 5 percent to 6percent reduction in overall crime, was driven by several factors, including gang rivalries and tensions between African Americans and Latinos, officials said.

The report specifically addressed a series of attacks on Latinos by suspected black gang members in Pasadena beginning in 2006. By August of last year, 69 incidents had been investigated, according to the report.

"We talked about the Pasadena situation - `Sock on Mexicans' - in detail there," said Robin Toma, executive director of the commission. "That was a notable challenge."

Toma also referred to recent gang violence that took the lives of 63-year-old Sanders Rollins, 16-year-old Sammantha Salas and 19-year-old Brandon Lee earlier this year.

Then there's this from the LA Noir blog:

The *shooting of a sheriff's deputy's mother in early July may have been a case of mistaken identity, according to a story by reporter Ruby Gonzales:

WHITTIER - Gang investigators say the July 6 shooting that wounded a deputy's 60-year-old mother was a case of mistaken identity.

They believe members of the Dead End Locos gang not only shot at the wrong house that night, the group also mistakenly tagged it two weeks ago.

Now deputies are asking for the public's help in finding three men wanted for questioning in the shooting in the 11700 block of Keith Drive.

One of two suspected shooters is already in custody and deputies have also recovered one gun and the getaway vehicle, a gold-colored Ford Explorer.

 

As for the mug shot. Here's the caption:

Ruben Rene 'Droopy" Amperano, one of the alleged shooters, was arrested during a parole and probation sweep on July 10. (Courtesy)  

A former Pasadena police lieutenant who disappeared around the holidays only to turn up dead under an Irwindale overpass is the subject of another piece in the Pasadena Weekly by reporter Andre Coleman.

The story, headlined "Body of Evidence" contains a pretty explosive lede:

A former Pasadena police officer thought to have committed suicide suffered a broken jaw sometime shortly before his death. Further, police sources have told the Pasadena Weekly that the head wound suffered by retired Officer David Richter was on the left side of Richter's head, though Richter used his right hand to carry and fire his weapon, separate sources with knowledge of the case and Richter told the newspaper.

There is also this curious sentence:

The sources used in this story are either high-ranking police officials or former police officials who all spoke on condition of anonymity.

The either/or construction is striking -- I'm still trying to parse it as we follow the story.

As for the balance of the story. It is possible that Richter could have held the gun to his lower left jaw; fired the gun so that it broke his jaw and (at the same time left an entrance wound on the "left side of Richter's head").

I don't think this is some magic bullet theory, simply a possibility that is probably being addressed at some level.

I think the possibility is likely given the phrase "sometime shortly before his death."

Medical examiners typically use terms like "post mortem," meaning after death, and peri-mortem, meaning around the time of death. I'll be curious to see how the broken jaw is classified.

All-in-all, Andre's done a nice job of reporting on this case. These are just my questions.  

 

I saw this story on ESPN about a Baldwin Park restaurant owner who has turned his establishment into a haven for area boxing fans. The main event this weekend?

Miguel Cotto defends his welterweight championship in Las Vegas against Antonio Margarito of Mexico on Saturday.

Here's the lede:

BALDWIN PARK, Calif. -- Old fight posters do not adorn the walls of El Siete Mares, a Mexican restaurant and bar just outside Los Angeles. But make no mistake, the establishment is a haven for Mexican boxing fans.

Instead of posters, six televisions are strategically placed so that no matter where a customer sits, the fights are visible.

It's a tradition for Rafael Chavez, who owns eight El Siete Mares restaurants as well as five other Mexican restaurants in the Soutern California area. If there's a fight on the tube, Chavez will show it.

Chavez was born in Mexico, but has been a Southern California restaurant owner for the past 25 years.

"I like all sports, but my main love is boxing," Chavez said. "I did a little bit myself and I've followed guys like [brothers] Rafael and Gabriel Ruelas, locals that fought around here. I also have a lot of friends who come here who are boxing fans. It is something we can relate with because we love it.

I love listening to Coast to Coast AM when I'm out late. There's always some interesting discussion (usually kooky) but hey as PT Barnum said ...

Anyway, I noticed the show has linked to Tuesday's Column about Oregon psychic Beyona Queen and the investigation into the death of Pasadena police Lt. David Richter. It's one of their "hot stories of the day."

Thanks Art Bell or George Noory, or whoever is hosting now.

After reading the site, I decided to search Beyona Queen on Google and low and behold I found this:

 

To those of you who turned here for updates on the Sierra Madre standoff, I've been unable to provide them today as I'm out of town -- which also explains the lack of  any other posts.

I'll return tomorrow as will Crime Scene.

Thanks,

Frank

This story from Pico Rivera comes via the wire services. I'll post an update later:

The L-A County coroner's office plans perform an autopsy on the body of a man
who was found in the driver's seat of a parked car in an un-incorporated area
near Pico Rivera. The body was discovered at Rooks Road and Peck
Roads last night. A parking citation had been left on the car.

*Here's what KCBS/KCAL is reporting:

Employees at a nearby truck repair shop said the car -- a 1980s four-door Lincoln -- had been parked there all day, and, at some point, someone placed a parking ticket on the vehicle's door.

A worker said firefighters who responded couldn't believe that someone had issued the citation without noticing the deceased man.

 

The DEA took in $1.68 million in pot and raided five houses in three counties Tuesday as part of an ongoing effort targeting grow homes.
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    The death of retired Pasadena Police Lt. David Richter has highlighted the need for responsible journalism in a time when tabloid reporting and the sentiments of bloggers are confused with news.

    Richter's abandoned car was found by a water-filled pit in Irwindale last January. Police assumed the retired lieutenant had either taken his own life or simply walked away from his financial troubles.

    The later discovery of Richter's corpse and a firearm under a nearby overpass seems to corroborate the theory that Richter took his own life. But then there's the conspiracy theorists, and admittedly the case possesses all the potential of a Law and Order episode.

    Thursday, I read an article by Andre Coleman of the Pasadena Weekly. Buried on page 13, the article uses an unnamed source and anonymous letter to create speculation amongst readers. After a short recap of the facts, Coleman delves into a lengthy digress about an anonymous letter sent to members of the Pasadena City Council.  The letter alleges everything from police malfeasance to racism.

    Coleman's sublimation of this anonymous letter leads to another anonymous source:

"According to an earlier conversation with one coroner's office employee who did not wish to be named, among the factors that may have led authorities to reopen the case (the case was never closed) was that a gun found near Richter's body appeared to have been fired four times, and one bullet remained in the weapon."

    Keeping in mind that they are a tabloid, I find it alarming that the Pasadena Weekly published this story. Had someone in the coroner's office made the statement, a statement that Los Angeles County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter doubts the legitimacy of, I would have written it off as conjecture, rather than present it as news. How would someone in the coroner's office know this information? According to Winter, homicide detectives would have taken the weapon and run ballistics on it, not the coroners office. While the article spends ample time on anonymous sources, it fails to mention Richter's financial possible motives for Richter to commit suicide.

    Prior to writing my article on Richter, I searched for reliable information, unfortunately reliable sources of information weren't permitted to comment.

    Friday I spoke with a psychic who claims the spirit of David Richter awakens her every morning seeking justice for his murder.

    Monday morning I listened to a voice-mail from an anonymous caller who presented himself as law enforcement by using the word "we" often in his rant. I listened to the message several times in an ill-fated attempt to extract meaningful insight.

"You'll never find out what happened, because that's what happens to us good cops when we make promises we can't keep."

What promises? Promises to financial institutions involving adjustable rate mortgages?

    After racking my brain for three days I had an epiphany: there probably isn't any credible information indicating Richter's death was anything but a suicide.

    Let's face it, Richter was a retired cop and retired cops kill themselves. By the age of 55 Richter had spent his entire adult life in law enforcement, and didn't have a spouse or children.

    Police who survive years of service, only to take their own lives after retirement is not a new concept. My own grandfather retired after 30 years as a Philadelphia homicide detective, and spent the next ten years drinking himself to death.

    Sure, it's possible that Richter caught a bullet during an old-west-style shootout with a crooked cop. However, it's far more likely that Richter was lamenting his career, his impending financial doom, and a Christmas without not only kin but comrade, last holiday season when he died.

    Regardless of what happened to Richter, it's important that journalists remember their role: to report the news not create it. That's why I take it as a compliment when bloggers like Aaron Proctor recognize me with a "ham and egger" award for "stealing" a story. So long as the Associated Press continues to recognize the difference between news coverage and misleading narratives, there just might be hope for the media and the role it should play in our society.

LA MIRADA - A local man suspected of continally molesting his step-granddaughter was charged with 17 counts of child molestation Monday, officials said.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- A home-invasion robbery occurred in the 19000 block of Tranbarger Street on Monday afternoon, according to Sgt. Marco Estrada of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

COVINA -- Sheriff's deputies are scouring the neighborhood surrounding the 5200 block of Calera Avenue in search of a man described only as an African-American adult who went missing Wednesday.

WEST COVINA -- The Washington Mutual branch, at 100 N. Citrus St., was robbed Monday afternoon, according to Lt. Marcos Plebani of the West Covina Police Department.

This should make tomorrow's newspaper:

City officials have met to discuss the possibility of seeking a gang injunction. The idea's being talked about, but no decision has been made.

*Actually the injunction is already being pursued, according to Capt. Rick Miglia, who spoke at a city council meeting last week.

I saw this on Twitter. Don't know if it's true but, if it is, it's interesting:

PCCinTech The Mayor of Sierra Madre was given a parking ticket in Pasadena even though her car is total electric so exempt, so much for green? about 9 hours ago from web

This comes from the Los Angeles County Grand Jury report of 2007-08:

According to information contained in interoffice correspondence between senior

Sheriff's Department managers, there are more than 19,000 inmates currently in the

county jail system, 90% of whom are not serving sentences, but are instead awaiting

trial or in custody for other reasons. As of February 2008, the total combined dollar

amount in the inmate trust accounts was $1,151,379. These funds accrue interest in the

County General Fund; none of the interest is earmarked for return to the Sheriff's

Department. In February 2008, there were six inmates who had a balance of more than

$5,000 in their accounts. Although none had any known gang affiliations, one was a

"confirmed hit man for the ...mafia," and two other inmates were arrested for separate

robberies (one in December 2003, with $7,212 in his possession, and the other in

March 2007, with $6,623 in his state prison account that was transferred to IRC at the

county jail). Apparently, although these arrestees were booked for robbery, no one

questioned the legitimacy of these funds, which were credited to each inmate's account.

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This is what we are reporting this morning:

SAN DIMAS - A woman was found shot to death inside a house Sunday, authorities said.

A witness discovered the body about 5 p.m. inside a house in the 500 block of 3rd Street and called for help, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Gary Lindenmayer.

The woman, whose name was not available, was pronounced dead at the scene, fire officials said.

It was not immediately clear how long before the discovery the woman was shot, Lindenmayer said.

A group of visibly upset teenagers and young adults consoled each other in front of the crime scene tape, which blocked access to the street around the home.

The homicide, which is the first reported in San Dimas since 2005, left the neighborhood uneasy.

Fox 11 reported Monday that there has been a history of calls to police from the home.

Apparently an argument led to this. Four people were injured. One seriously. Here's the story:

WEST COVINA - The DJ at a house party was arrested early Sunday after he allegedly stabbed two people and hit two others with his car, authorities said.

Luis Perez, 23, of Baldwin Park was arrested shortly after the incident and was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, West Covina police Lt. Marcos Plebani said.

The alleged attack occurred about 2 a.m. at a house in the 1600 block of West Louisa Avenue, he said.

"He slashed one person in the back yard, then stabbed another person multiple times in the front yard," Plebani said.

A 26-year-old man was hospitalized with three stab wounds to his stomach and lower chest, said West Covina Fire Department Capt. Jim Rudroff.

The injuries were initially believed to be life threatening, however the wounded man was expected to survive after undergoing surgery, police and fire officials said. Another man suffered a superficial stab wound but did not seek treatment from fire officials.

This from City News Service:

GARDEN GROVE -- A man suspected in a fatal hit-and-run collision in that killed a Diamond Bar resident was arrested over the weekend on suspicion drunken driving and other crimes, the California Highway Patrol said.
Eduardo Aguilera Orozco, 25, of Anaheim, was allegedly driving a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu east on the 22 Freeway in Garden Grove about 2:50 a.m. Saturday when he rear-ended a 2004 Toyota Sequoia near Harbor Boulevard, causing the SUV to roll several times, a CHP dispatcher said.
Mukhtar Bagum, 64, of Diamond Bar, who was in the SUV, died at the scene, said Larry Esslinger of the coroner's office.
A 1-year-old girl, 12-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy in the Sequoia suffered minor injuries, the CHP dispatcher said.
Bagum's 28-year-old son, who had been driving the SUV, and two other passengers were unhurt.
Orozco, who had minor injuries, allegedly fled on foot, the dispatcher said.
The dispatcher said Orozco was arrested about 1:50 p.m. Saturday and booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit and run and drunken driving -- all felonies.

This photo comes from the SGVT circa 1970. It shows Azusa police dispatcher Kandee Kahn hard at work. Here's Kandee's story, which reads like something from the wild west.

 

Pasadena police have questioned three youths in connection with the Friday afternoon fire above Hastings Ranch.

There has been no arrests. The three were seen leaving the scene as soon smoke appeared.

No further information was available.

 *Three youths are reportedly now in custody according to one of our wire services.  We are confirming the story. (As of 5:46 p.m.) They are juveniles.

** From interview at 5:52 p.m. with Pasadena Fire Spokeswoman Lisa Derderian .. the youths were not residents of the area . . still trying to determine the origin a neighbor called it in great description and PPD were on it right away. . . .

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PASADENA -- Officials are responding to a brush fire reported in the Pasadena foothills.
The fire is reported to be burning near the intersection of Carriage House Road and Winding Way, said Los Angeles County Fire Department Investigator Sam Padilla.
It was reported about 3 p.m., according to California Highway Patrol logs.
At 3:30 p.m., the fire was reportedly burning one acre and was moving slowly through medium to heavy brush, Padilla said.
Five fire engines and thee water-dropping helicopters battled the blaze, Padilla said.

Jennifer McLain shot this picture at lunchtime near the intersection of Arrow Highway and Enid street in Covina/Azusa.

Apparently a car blew through the intersection about 12:30 p.m. and caused a three car accident that sent three people to the hospital with minor injuries.

 

This from the email bag:

I am a resident of Monrovia, and I have been hearing alot about ATM scams going on in my city. My mother in law was hit for $600 dollars just before the 4th of July weekend, and so was her co-worker here in Monrovia. Just today I found out that another person was hit that lives on Madison. The police told my Mother in law, that they were looking into Pavillions in Monrovia for possible leads, being that most of them had used their PIN to make purchases there. ...

We are really concerned that there is a ring of Scammers out here. We are afraid of using our cards at all. If you know anything, can you please help us out, so that we know where to stay out of. I would like my name to be anonymous in case you decide to post anything on it. I just thought that if you knew something, it would be of great help to my community to be informed. Thank you for your time.

Any thoughts?

Brian Day reports that the so-called "vampire" pre school bandit has been caught in a park in Temple City.

Our original post said:

Suspect Scott Raymond Lopez broke into Montessori Academy preschool, 1030 E. Merced Ave., ransacked it and urintated on the floor on on Thursday, July 10, 2008. Equipment was found piled up as if the burglar had intended to steal it, however nothing but food was believed to have been stolen.

We're not sure what sort of food you can steal from a pre school. I'm guessing "Teddy Grahams." Tania Chatils said it was more likely carrot sticks --since the school is a "Montessori" academy.

 

WHITTIER -- A teenage girl was attacked and robbed of her cell phone Wednesday while standing in front of La Serna High School, police said.

POMONA -- The trial is to begin Monday for a man suspected of killing his mother and her companion in their Glendora home during a robbery, officials said.

POMONA -- Two men accused of fatally shooting a Valinda man who tried to stop them from tagging in his neighborhood entered not guilty pleas Tuesday, officials said.

WEST COVINA -- Two restaurants at the Eastland Shopping Center were evacuated Thursday after underground electrical equipment exploded, officials said.

Pasadena PD may have an embarassing scandal on its hands in the wake of an article that appeared in Thursday's Pasadena Weekly.

Andre Coleman reexamines the investigation into the death of former police Lt. David Richter and turns up some interesting tidbits.

Here's the lede:

Homicide investigators with the LA County Sheriff's Department are taking a second look into the death of retired Pasadena police Officer David Richter -- a case that, although initially thought to be suicide, has already been at the center of an internal affairs investigation in Pasadena and caused at least one person to lash out anonymously against Pasadena police leadership.

<snip>

 

The planned press conference at the site of Saturday's shooting in Monrovia didn't pan out. Organizers were unable to get any support. And when TV crews didnt' show, organizers told our reporter and photographer that there would be no press conference until the "real media" arrived.

Almost as soon as the SGV Tribune PSN photographer took off, city spokesman Dick Singer arrived on the scene and apparently engaged in an argument with one of the "press conference" organizers. No details on the nature of the argument or what else happened out there.

*The argument was over whether or not the shooting victim was a gang member or not. A cop apparently stepped in and Dick Singer got into his car and drove off, reporter Nate McIntire said.

AZUSA -- A decomposed body found floating in the Little Dalton Wash over the weekend remained unidentified Thursday, officials said.
Officials have determined the body, found about 7 p.m. Sunday, is that of a man estimated to be 30-40 years old, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
The body was first spotted by a passerby, police said.
A cause of death was not determined, Winter said.
Coroner's officials are continuing to work to identify the body, currently listed as John Doe 142, he said.

I'm not the only guy irritated by the bureaucrats telling me I can't have mustard at Philippe's downtown.

West Covina's Mike Spence cries out against the nanny state on redcounty.com

                                                                                                                                              " The nanny state and its bureaucrats have victimized the Los Angeles landmark eatery Philippe's. Philippe's Beef Dips are literally world famous. The lamb dip isn't bad either. Actually they are all good. But I digress. "

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A police lieutenant in Daytona Beach was fired over accusations that he threatened slower emergency response times if he was not given complimentary specialty Starbucks coffee drinks.

Story here.

Organizers of a group called Enough is Enough plan a press conference in Monrovia this afternoon to decry a recent drive-by shooting there and possibly ask the city to remove Roger Johnson as Chief of Police.

Victim Brandon Black, 23,  has been branded by city officials as a member of the Du Roc Crips -- one of three warring gangs in the Monrovia-Duarte area. His family  said Black is not a gang member and was targeted by members of the Monrovia Nuevo Varrio gang because of his race. Black is Black.

The planned press conference will take place in the 500 block of Royal Oak. It begins at 3 p.m.

Spokesman Henry Clark said the group will demand police term the recent shooting a "hate crime."

"They are going to have to realize there's a ghetto in Monrovia and they are going to have to deal with the problems of the ghetto," Clark said. "Call these crimes what they are."

Clark also referred to Nathan McIntire's recent article on the strife in Monrovia and questioned how effective the police department can be against area gangs when allegations surrounding Police Sgt. Dan Verna have not been thoroughly investigated.

"If the city is not going to pay these officers and if they are going to be sitting in a park doing homosexual stuff with gang members the city needs to turn over patrols to the Sheriff's Department. And turn it over as soon as possible.

"As soon as the CHP and Sheriff's went away, this stuff started cropping up again. people are afraid its going to escalate like before."

BTW a Crime Scene poll on Johnson's performance has yeilded a huge vote of no confidence in the chief. Fully 76 percent of respondents voted in favor of removing Johnson. About 60 percent of those same respondents favor replacing the PD with the Sheriff's Department.

INDUSTRY - Police attempted Thursday to sort out the details of a custody dispute that mamy have resulted in the disappearance of an 8-year-old boy and his mother.

Jesus Puerta, of El Monte, was reported missing about a week ago. His father made the report to El Monte police. The case was turned over the the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department when it was determined the boy went missing from a day care center in Bassett, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Gerard Velona said.

Detectives are also seeking Jessee Pheifer, 27, the boy's mother. "Everything is very preliminary," Velona said. "There is nothing to indicate this young man is in any kind of danger."

N0 amber alert has been issued, Velona said.

"We don't even have a car description," he said.

PASADENA -- Four hikers who were unable to climb down from the "First Falls" waterfall at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center had to be rescued by helicopter Wednesday, officials said.

WEST COVINA -- Police said they have identified a man who was caught on camera breaking into a local preschool, ransacking it and urinating on the floor. He is Scott Raymond Lopez, 34, according to Lt. Pete Mena

I just overheard this bit of news on the 10 o'clock FOX 11 local news segment. 

From Fox News 

NOVI, Mich. --  A 33-year-old Clarkston man faces two 20-year felonies after authorities say he arranged a meeting for sex with an online contact he believed was a 14-year-old girl and showed up wearing a T-shirt that read: "World's Greatest Dad."

Daniel Allen Everett was arraigned Tuesday in Novi district court on charges of child sexual abuse and using the Internet to attempt child sexual abuse.

Magistrate Andra Dudley set bond at $50,000 cash.

Meth inspections!

Worried about squatters using your failed real estate investment as a meth lab?

This guy has the answer. He's the meth inspector.

One of the latest concerns in the Northern Utah real estate marketplace is Meth-Lab contamination, and we can perform this sample testing service for you in a timely manner. The financial liabilities are real and they are stacked against whoever currently owns the property. Until the laws are changed, it is buyer beware.

<snip>

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI is investigating Indymac Bancorp for fraud, a source tells CNN.

Wonkette has a copy of a letter sent by U.S. Rep. David Dreier to constituents in the 26th Congressional District.

Here's what Wonkette says:

Everybody in California's 26th congressional district got this crazy-ass ALL CAPS hand-written freakout from beloved conservative bachelor David Dreier today. You can read the second page of ALL CAPS "MUST DRILL 4 OIL AT SEA WORLD OR ISLAMO FASCISTS WILL KILL KILL KILL" in the comments of basically all blogs everywhere.

I think the reference to the second page is a joke. BTW, here's what folks in Washington think about the San Gabriel Valley: (this comes from the comments to the same post)

You East Coast Wankers have to realize with what you are dealing.

California's 26th Congressional District is way out in the San Gabriel Valley, where it's hot as hades; there are no jobs; real estate values are in the toilet, and EVERYBODY has to DRIVE to get someplace else that is more semi-habitable, e.g., L.A.

So the Fine Folks From The 26th would approve shoving a Hughes Tool Co. diamond-studded drill bit up the behind of a cherubic 9 month old baby if they thought it would bring gas prices down.

If you don't believe me, consider this: Rancho Cucamonga is one of the larger "cities" in the 26th. (I kid you not.)

And the demographics look like this:
Median Household Income: $68,968 (most of which is generated by meth labs)

8.4% are below the poverty line (that's the National poverty line. Applying California Cost of Living standards, it's more like 40%

Occupation:

17.3% blue collar (i.e., no teeth bikers who buy the meth)
70.7% white collar (tweeker lab techs)
As of 2002, there are 639,088 people in the 26th District of California.

35.4% are registered Democratic (White trash)
46.4% are registered Republican (More white trash)
5.2% are African American (Running scared from The Man)
16.7% are Asian-American (Running scared to school)
24.4% are Hispanic (Running scared from La Migra)

David Dreier is PERFECT for them.

LA Observed points to a post on Eater LA labeled as a "serious rant." Here's the gist: Some moron at the County Health Department has decided that the mustard at Philippe's is "unsanitary."

As far as I know (and I have several T-Shirts to prove it) Philippe's has been in business for 100 years -- since 1908 to be exact. County officials and city officials eat there often. So what happened? Did some health inspector not get invited to lunch with the boss and decide to take it out on the restaurant?  That's my guess.

Any attack on this fine eating establishment is an attack on all of us who love french dip and sawdust floors.

Here's the rant:

Blasphemy! From one angry French dip lover: "Who's the stupid idiot in the health department that forced the removal of the Mustard pots on the tables at Philippe!? Are they serious? A 100 year old tradition out the window because of some by-the-book bs! Seriously?! If it was good enough in 1908, it's good enough for 2008. They have a squeeze-ee bottle at the counter with little paper cups you can fill up. But really. Come on! After 100 years, NOW it's unsanitary

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/jackson-police-dondero-2094781-driving-crashed

(thanks pokey)

"Covina police are asking the public's help in finding a man who broke into Montessori Academy preschool, 1030 E. Merced Ave., ransacked it and urintated on the floor on on Thursday, July 10, 2008. Equipment was found piled up as if the burglar had intended to steal it, however nothing but food was believed to have been stolen."

A 31-year old member of a gang called Brown Brotherhood is taken into custody by a parole agent during a multi-agency sweep at the 8700 block of Nogal Ave. in Whittier on Tuesday, July 15, 2008. A 22-caliber rifle, a crossbow and other weapons were found at the location. The parolee is looking at parole violation and charges, of being an ex-felon in possesion of a gun. Nine locations in Whittier, Pico Rivera and Norwalk were hit simultaneously early in the morning.
(SGVN/Staff Photo by Raul Roa/SWCity)

Preliminary agreement reached between Monrovia and the MPOA it;s a five-year contract. The wording must still be drafted. An impasse has been in place since March.

Raises spread out over five years.

Non-sworn personnel didn't get as good a deal.....More To Follow.

City Manager Scott Ochoa praises the agreement in a city press release.

 

Of course someone is still going to have to explain the billboard...

I got this letter from someone who identified himself as a relative of the man who was shot Sunday near Royal Oaks and Shamrock in Monrovia. The relative makes some interesting points about policing in Monrovia and the overall investigation. I've removed any identifying information. Letter on the jump:

 

First Nathan McIntire's blockbuster detailed turmoil within the Monrovia Police Department. Then we learned of a drive-by shooting that severely injured a 23-year-old man.

As a result, Crime Scene has opted for two polls about Monrovia.

The first asks for a vote on Police Chief Roger Johnson.

The second asks whether the Sheriff's Department should take over policing duties in Monrovia:  

Moe-Squatch beats Moe-Dini 13 votes to 11 votes. Way to participate!

Here's the seven other suggestions:

Abused

Moe Trouble than he's worth

pendejo

Hedeir Nomo

MOE

moe'z-gone wild

Moe mentum

This from reporter Amanda Baumfeld:

AZUSA - A man in a wheelchair was struck and killed by a vehicle while crossing the Gladston Street Monday night. The man supposedly had a beer in his hand at the time of the accident and officers believe he was under the influence. The collision occured around 8:45 p.m. on Gladstone Street, just west of Barranca Avenue. The man remains unidentified.

 

From a press release:

Washington, DC - In light of recent developments in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case highlighting the effectiveness of DNA technology, the House today passed "The Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2008" (H.R. 5057).  The bill included four amendments authored by Rep. Schiff that will improve DNA tools to help catch rapists, murderers and other violent criminals and help reduce the backlog of DNA samples waiting to be screened by federal and state investigators.  Most significantly, the bill includes an amendment authored by Rep. Schiff that would provide states with an incentive to collect DNA profiles from those arrested for murder or felony sex crimes. The bill will now be sent to the Senate for its approval before it is sent to the President to be signed into law. 
 
"DNA matching technology is one on the greatest advancements in forensic science since the fingerprint," said Schiff.  "DNA matching technology has the potential to be one of the most effective tools in catching violent criminals.  We can use this technology far more successfully to track down murderers and rapists.  Clearing the backlog of DNA samples and collecting more data from violent felons will go a long way towards finally solving hundreds or thousands of cold case murders and sexual assaults."

YUCK!

This from the Portland Oregonian by way of the Associated Press:

The University of Washington says its computer keyboards will now be cleaned weekly, after a student research project found high levels of fecal coliform bacteria on some of them.

The students found the bacteria on keyboards at two busy areas on the Seattle campus -- Odegaard Undergraduate Library and Mary Gates Hall. Fecal coliform is a bacteria found in fecal matter.

 

A passerby saw the body in a flood channel near Pasadena Avenue and
Duell Street about 6:50 p.m., said Azusa police Sgt. Sam Fleming. The age and gender of the body could not be immediately determined due to the severe decomposition, he said.

 

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After several months of relative peace and quiet a neighborhood in Northeastern Monrovia was rocked by gunfire late Saturday. The victim was described as a member of the DuRoc Crips. No suspect description was available. I've updated our guide to shootings in Monrovia -- map embedded below -- It really seems like that paticular neighborhood has a penchant for violence. The shooting occurred very close to where Brandon Lee was killed in January.

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Reporter Nathan McIntire did tons of research to put the Monrovia crisis into perspective. His opus will appear in Sunday's paper. It lays out the players, the stakes and the turmoil roiling the All America City. Here's some excerpts: 

While city leaders have been staunch in their support of the Police Department and its leadership, the lawsuits have cost Monrovia taxpayers nearly $680,000 in settlements and legal fees since 2006.
Two lawsuits have been settled by the city, and two are still pending. All include allegations that the department is rife with racial and sexual discrimination.
Johnson was a defendant in two of the lawsuits, but is named in all four. The actions of Police Sgt. Daniel Verna, currently on leave from the department, also figure prominently in the intertwined events described in the lawsuits.
"I think the management of the Police Department is corrupt. If the City Council wants to start doing anything about it, they should start terminating those in charge," Leo Terrell, the attorney for two of the plaintiffs, said in an interview.
<snip>
Nevertheless, Monrovia's legal battles are noteworthy when compared to those of other public agencies.
The Los Angeles Fire Department, for example, has faced a similar barrage of employment-related harassment and discrimination lawsuits over the last few years.
From July 2005 to April 2008, 15 civil rights lawsuits against LAFD, which currently comprises 3,586 sworn members, have cost the city nearly $7 million in settlements and legal fees. 
While LAFD is much larger than Monrovia's Police Department, the fire department's legal expenses work out to about $2,000 per sworn officer.
The four lawsuits against the Monrovia Police Department, which has only 55 sworn officers (plus six open positions), has so far cost the city about $680,000, or about $12,000 per officer.
<snip>
Cobb's attorney, Terrell, who also represents Thompson, said he plans to subpoena an officer currently on leave to testify in Thompson's lawsuit.
"I believe that officer has given untruthful answers in the Cobb case," said Terrell. "I think he was compromised, and I believe he was compromised by the management of the Police Department."
That officer is, presumably, Verna. 
In deposition records, Terrell noted that Verna was promoted to sergeant in mid-July 2006, a few weeks after he refused to provide a statement on behalf of Cobb.

You can read the whole story in tomorrow's newspaper. 

Various reporters and editors in the newsroom have been racking their brains to come up with a nickname for Moe the Chimp, who is still missing. Intern Thomas Himes suggests Moe-dini; while Managing editor Steve Hunt prefers Moe-squatch.

I''ve joined Twitter to attempt some one-line blog posts and other interesting updates that may not appear here. Here's the URL: http://twitter.com/FrankGirardot It looks like fun...

A couple of weeks ago we reported on a rumor circulating Pasadena that a Panty Bandit was targeting nice neighborhoods and stealing lacy underwear. That story didn't pan out.

But, reporter Brian Day discovered similarities in a pair of lingere thefts from Victoria's Secrets stores in La Puente and Arcadia. Police won't make the link yet, but suspect descriptions are similar.

We've reported on the La Puente case:

LA PUENTE -- Police are investigating a lingerie heist that occurred Monday at the Puente Hills Mall.

Three youngsters made off with $2,000-worth of high-end underwear from a Victoria's Secret store Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Industry Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Puchalski said a male Hispanic and two female Hispanics, all in their 20s, entered the store at about 4:45 p.m. Two of the culprits distracted a salesclerk as the third, a female, stuffed merchandize into a bag, authorities said.

The three then ran out of the store, going in different directions, authorities said.

The Arcadia theft is noted on the police department's incident log. There's apparently soem gender confusion in the police reports.

A similar ring was reportedly working in Philly. Actually Chester County.

The semi-annual report to the Board of Supervisors by Special Counsel Merrick Bobb focuses on the treatment of women inmates and lawsuits against the department. Among those helping prepare the document was Pasadena police Chief Barney Melekian.

It would be interesting to see a similar report done on the Pasadena Police Department -- but then again they are not under a federal mandate to do so.

 

 

Tony Zendejas, the former Los Angeles Rams place kicker was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail, but he posted bail late Thursday and was released. He is tentatively scheduled to be arraigned in Pomona Superior Court on Sept. 11.
If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

This is what we will be following:

SAN GABRIEL -- Two suspected burglars were arrested Thursday after allegedly breaking into a home, authorities said.

EL MONTE -- Police following the trail of two allegedly stolen big rigs Thursday discovered a warehouse packed with allegedly stolen goods, officials said.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- The investigation continued Thursday into a series of crashes that left an 18-year- old man and an off-duty police lieutenant dead, authorities said.

The latest from reporter Bethania Palma:

Speaking through an attorney Thursday, former Rams placekicker Tony Zendejas maintained his innocence.

"The charges are utterly false," attorney Tim Younger said.

Lunch time traffic at Zendejas' plush sports bar was light Thursday.

A manager identifying himself as "Marty" said he could not comment and referred all questions to Younger.

Zendejas is charged in an ugly rape case and was arrested Thursday morning at his home in Yorba Linda. A woman claims he drugged her and raped her in a motel room on Jan. 26. The criminal complaint alleges the the woman suffered great bodily harm as a result of the rape.

 

The photo comes from Zendejas' MySpace

Former Rams place kicker Tony Zendejas was charged with a felony count of rape by use of drugs, rape of an unconscious person, sodomy by anesthesia and sodomy of an unconscious victim, according to the Los Angeles County DA in a press release issued this morning.

Zendejas, 48,  owns Zendejas restaurant in San Dimas. The press release indicates the victim was drugged and raped in Pomona.  

*Zendejas retired in 1995 after playing 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, the Houston Oilers, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. He was arrested Thursday morning at his home in Yorba Linda.

*The complaint also alleges Zendejas caused great bodily injury.

*If convicted he faces up to 15 years in state prison. Arraignment is scheduled for Friday in Pomona Superior Court.

** Here's some data on Zendejas:

** Wikipedia entry on the kicker

** Zendejas Mexican Restaurant

** NFL statistics

**Zendejas MySpace page

*** Zendejas criminal record includes a couple of minor traffic violations in Orange County, according to public records.

****Officials said their investigation into the rape allegations lasted seven months; thus the delay between the event and Zendejas' arrest Thursday morning.

TMZ posted a brief on this story based on the original press release. They haven't updated but here's a link. 

*** Complaint on Jump 

It looks like Zendejas had a rude wake-up call.

According to booking information, the onetime NFL star is a puny guy.

Just 5-8 and 165 pounds.

Very similar to his playing weight.

Seems like he'd be crushhed in today's NFL.

 Info from the booking sheet:

ANTONIO ZENDEJAS

Booking Num: 1542051

Charge(s): 261(A)(3) / PC / F / RAPE OF DRUGGED VICTIM

Arrest Date: 07-10-2008

Birth Date: 05-15-1960

Sex: M

Race: H

Height: 5' 8"

Weight 165

 

Most nights, the night editor Kate Kealey, or the night cops reporter Brian Day will send me notes on criminal activity in the SGV and Whitter that we need to check on in the morning.

Here's last night's note:

Heard over the scanner reports of a man that doused himself in gasoline and threatened to set himself on fire. Made a few calls to track it down. Sheriff's San Dimas Station is handling it. All the watch commander could do was confirm it, say that they were handling it and that it happened in the 4300 block of Bell Chase Avenue in unincorporated county area near Covina. He was still waiting on a briefing from the lieutenant, which wasn't going to happen until later.

Kandee Kahn worked as a police dispatcher throughout what might be considered the Wild West.

In more than 35 years on the job, Kahn, who grew up in La Puente, spent time in some pretty rough towns -- places like Yakima, Casper and Reno.

But perhaps the roughest place she worked was Azusa in the early 1970s as one of the city's first civilian dispatchers.

I came across Kandee in a sort of unusual way -- via a phone call from a copy machine place in Reno. The clerk had a customer who wanted to photocopy an old newspaper. The clerk wanted to know if it was OK to copy it.

Thinking it might be one of my masterpieces, I asked the clerk what the article was about.
"Judging from the clothes and the hairdos it looks like something from the late '60s or early '70s," she said. "It's titled, 'She was not too young at all.'"

The clerk said the story was about a teenaged police dispatcher in Azusa who had earned the admiration of her colleagues and the city's police chief.

I said, "Hey, do you have the number of the guy who wants the copies?" I got it, dialed away and left a message.

Bob Kahn called me back and put Kandee on the line. He was making a copy of the article in honor of the couple's 20th wedding anniversary. And, they wanted their two children to have a memento of an interesting life.

"I was 19 when they wrote that article, and too young to be working," she recalled. "I mentioned that to one of the reporters and he wrote about it."

Police Department rules at the time required dispatchers to be 21, but the administration winked and looked the other way.

As Kandee tells it, those were some wild days in Azusa.

One Saturday afternoon a couple of cops responding to a rambunctious wedding reception somewhere in town were hauled out of their car and nearly beaten to death.

"It was a pretty tough community during that time," Kandee said. "It got to a point that I remember officers from other agencies would call and ask, 'Where do you think the riot is going to be this weekend?'

"A lot of times when swing shift went off duty instead of going home they would sit in the dispatch center waiting for the riot of the day," Kandee continued.

Then there was the day an angry mob of 300 or so marched down Foothill Boulevard from the drive-in headed straight toward the police station.

The sergeant comes in and says, 'they are coming here to the station to get the prisoners and they claim they are going to kill anybody in the station.'"

Kandee said her boss handed her something like a "flamethrower" and gave her a hand gun as well because he didn't have enough people to protect the police headquarters. His final instructions were simple:

"'If they come in here, grab the records clerk and run into the back office and pray,'" she recalled.

Kandee hasn't been back to the San Gabriel Valley since the early 1980s. But at least she has a souvenir that's better than any postcard.

Just noticed this among the comments on Curbed LA after writing a column on tagging and graffiti in early June:

You have spouted a lot of innuendo about graffiti and graffiti writers - but where does all of your wonkish knowledge come from?

I'd ask the same question of Frank Girardot, but he's probably doing bong rips in his editorial office and high fiving his interns for laying the smack down on the menace of unsactioned wall painters.

If these people didn't write their name all over your visual landscape, would you even know or care that they existed?

A man suspected  of leading West Covina police on a high-speed chase through town before crashing in Irwindale got a little more than he bargained for when police apparently Tasered him in the head.

This photo comes from Raul Roa, who was on scene for the aftermath of the pursuit, which came right by our office complex.

 

 

<
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The missing mom and her daughter found in a Chatanooga bus depot had taken the bus there from Joplin, Missouri, police now say.

Apparently the pair were headed to Miami Florida. The unidentified man supposedly traveling with the family has not been located. Press conference is now scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

 

Moe the missing chimp continues to elude searchers. Friday will be the two week anniversary of Moe's escape from Jungle Exotics, a Devore company that provides animals to the entertainment industry, and searchers have yet to find any trace of the mischievous chimp. 
That's not to say there hasn't been Moe sightings, one of the first unconfirmed sightings occurred at a nudist camp near Jungle Exotics.  This Sunday two separate calls to the California Highway Patrol reported a monkey, or a man in a monkey suit, running in and out of traffic near Big Bear.
But Michael McCasland, the man heading up search efforts for Moe's owners, St. James and Ladonna Davis, still believes Moe is hiding in a canyon directly behind the enclosure from which he made his Houdini-like escape. McCasland, and area wildlife experts agree that a chimp could live for weeks or even months in the San Bernardino National Forest, that is if he didn't fall victim to a rattlesnake bite.
McCasland is urging concerned Moe fans to donate money for a helicopter.  McCasland believes that flying through the canyons will scare Moe out.
As for me, my money is on Moe turning up in a NJ train yard.

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MONROVIA - Members of the Monrovia Police Officers Association are voting on a contract and the ballots will be counted on Monday, according to Dieter Dammeier, an attorney representing the MPOA.

Dammeier said he expects the deal to be approved. Should it pass, the City Council could approve it at its next scheduled meeting.

An agreement on a contract would settle a dispute between the city and the police union that has persisted since March.

This from Whittier reporter Airan Scruby:

Locals organized a car wash Tuesday to help pay for the funerals of three of their own, killed in a car accident on the 4th of July.

The men who died left behind a large circle of friends in their teens and twenties, who said they wanted to help the families through a difficult time.

"Everybody looked out for everybody," Lisa Whitney, 23, said of the mens' families and friends.

William Bradley of Whittier, Nathan Pollard of La Mirada and Jerry Luzzi of La Habra, all 21 were in Alaska for seasonal work at a lodge.

The three men were on an Alaskan highway in Bradley's red 2003 Infiniti when the car rolled several times, ejecting all those in the car from the car.

Two Michigan men, also in the car, survived the crash.

This photo was taken by Raul Roa, who stopped by the car wash Tuesday afternoon.

 "Edward Thomas Dewey, 21, of South Gate, was arrested early
Tuesday, July 8, 2008, in the City of Pico Rivera on suspicion of
fatally shooting 35-year-old Jose Luis Casillas of Downey at an
Independence Day gathering in Montebello on July 4, 2008."

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Police said they have a "happy ending" to report in the tale of two missing girls, a mom and a Lexus. Details are sketchy. A press Conference is scheduled for 20 minutes from now.

* The eight year old has been found in a McDonald's parking lot in the Lexus in Miami Oklahoma. They believe that an unidentified man is also involved. They don't know what his relationship is, but this was a planned thing, police are saying. The 12-year-old her mom and man are still missing. No amber alerts have been issued and the FBI has not been notified.

 

Not a lot's been written about this guy. But he's known as the "Dust Mask Bandit" and is apparently responsible for robberies in Alhambra, Encino and Orange.

The Orange County Register has a nice interactive Google map of bank robberies in their coverage area with some details. The Dust Mask Bandit is mentioned in the story.

 

 

The Board of Supervisors doubled the $10,00 reward being offered for information in the slaying of a 90-year-old Altadena woman. This comes from one of our wire services:

The reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction was originally posted a
few days after the body of Evelyn Mosely was found on May 8 in her home, which had
been deliberately set on fire.

Firefighters who quickly extinguished the blaze at 3225 Lincoln Ave. discovered her
body in the kitchen, and investigators found signs of a struggle.

A housekeeper was booked on suspicion of murder hours later but was quickly exonerated and set free.

Anyone with information about Mosely's death was asked to call sheriff's homicide Lt.
Liam Gallagher at (323) 890-5500.

The e-mail I received Sunday from my former colleague Phil Drake ended simply:

"P.S. Did they ever catch Moe?"

Monday morning it was the first thing I asked our intern Thomas Himes, who has been on "Moe Watch" almost since coming to the paper from his Ivy League university in Pennsylvania.

When another reporter questioned my news judgment, I responded, "How the hell did the Washington Post get access to the search for Moe? We've got to stay on this."

About 30 minutes later, Thomas told me the closest thing to a Moe sighting over the long Fourth of July weekend was reports of a man in a chimp suit running in traffic near Big Bear.

"Yeah," he said. "Someone said they saw a man dressed like a monkey off the side of the road. Or, maybe it was a monkey. No one's sure."

The story of Moe the chimp has grown to legendary proportions over the past several years. In the 1970s and '80s he lived with St. James and LaDonna Davis at their Vincent Avenue home in West Covina.

The chimp starred in "B.J. and the Bear" - a TV take on Burt Reynolds' "Smokey and the Bandit" - with a monkey!

As one of several chimps who played Bear, Moe and his human companion B.J. outwitted the dimwitted Sheriff Lobo in episode after episode.

After a run-in with the West Covina police in 1998 and a biting incident the next year, Moe was removed from the Davises' house and placed at the Animal Haven Ranch near Bakersfield.

Then, on Moe's birthday in 2005, the Davises were mauled by two jealous apes as they delivered a birthday cake to their beloved chimp. St. James lost his nose and his testicles defending LaDonna from the berserk animals.

Moe was moved again. This time to Jungle Exotics in Devore.

A few months ago the Davises were in the news again, when LaDonna's purse was stolen from a shopping cart at a Target store. They held a press conference with super attorney Gloria Allred and a few days later the suspected purse snatcher was caught.

Moe's story is big enough that the Washington Post, famed home of Woodward and Bernstein, paid reporter William Booth to travel to Devore last week and discuss Moe's latest misadventure with the Davises.

Booth's editors sent him here during a historic presidential election. He was given the assignment to cover a missing chimp at a time when oil and gas prices have reached all-time highs.

The hunt for Bin Laden has dragged on for years. The Iranians are about to go nuclear. Foreclosures are on the rise and banks like IndyMac of Pasadena are near collapse.

Yet, the Washington Post, the paper of record in our nation's capital, has assigned a reporter to write about an escaped monkey.

There's a good explanation though.

"Usually, a piece about an escaped chimpanzee is catnip to news editors, especially over a long holiday weekend. Like a good shark attack (or poodle-eating alligators or lurid panda sex), your missing-chimp story is a leafy green perennial of the news business," Booth wrote.

I'll second that.

Monrovia seems to be in a lot of news stories these days. From NBC in San Diego:

Authorities want to talk to the mother of one of two girls, ages 12 and 8, who disappeared from San Dimas with their foster parents' car.

Two girls, ages 12 and 8, were reported missing Monday from their foster home in San Dimas, along with their foster parents' car, which the older girl may be driving, the sheriff's department reported. Sheriff's investigators said the girls may have been abducted, and since the older girl's mother, identified as Iris Pineda Zavala, of Monrovia, cannot be located, that may be a possible lead in the case

 

Bethania Palma writes the latest chapter in the Sergio Corona story:

The District Attorney's office Monday filed misdemeanor charges against a school board member who was Tased and arrested last month, authorities said.

Sergio Corona, 34, was charged with three counts stemming from a May 22 incident in which police Tased him twice and took him into custody, authorities said.

He faces one count each of vandalism, resisting or obstructing an officer and driving without a license.

Corona allegedly admitted to smoking marijuana and methamphetamine earlier that night, according to a police report.

The DA's office last month sent a toxicology report back to police to confirm results but did not file drug-related charges.

 

This from the Wall Street Journal (h/t Reporter G):

The storied Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise has been secretly shopped to potential buyers amid continuing divisions among the five sons of the team's founder, Art Rooney Sr.

The talks affect not only one of America's iconic sports franchises, but one of its most fabled sports families. Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney, who helped build the National Football League and is the oldest of the five sons, wants to consolidate his control by acquiring most of his brothers' shares in the Steelers over 10 years, those briefed on the talks said.

Correspondent Thomas Himes, who is interning here for the summer will be providing periodic Moe the Chimp updates for Crime Scene. He said there's been reports of a man wearing a chimp suit having been sighted in Devore, near where search and rescue teams are looking for Moe

Here's his first update of the day...after this Tom is on his own ...

Moe's trail has grown cold. Four dogs were brought in to search for the missing primmate this past weekend, but have yet to find a scent.

"We just need a break, a sighting, a print, something." Michael McCasland a spokesperson for Moe's owners said."We're comfortable the dogs will be able to find him if they can pick up his scent."

Searchers are hoping for volunteer helicopter pilots to assist in the search over the next few days.

"We really need helicopters to fly up there and scare him out of the Canyons," McCasland said.

What would a Moe update be without a link to another site: Here's what Lassie, Get Help has to say about poor missing Moe, (quoting the Washingotn Post):

Usually, a piece about an escaped chimpanzee is catnip to news editors, especially over a long holiday weekend. Like a good shark attack (or poodle-eating alligators or lurid panda sex), your missing-chimp story is a leafy green perennial of the news business.

The shooting death of a Montebello man on July 4, has generated some heartfelt interest from his family.

Here's an excerpt from a letter I received this morning from the man's cousin. We're still waiting to confirm some of the details in the letter:

We are all still in shock and disbelief and as well confused of the
whole senario.  I found just a small article in the whittier daily
which stated that police were still investigating . . . but we were
told by police otherwise.  We have been assuming that the
purpretraters two males were arrested.  Please help us figure this
out and find closeure especially for the 3 teenage boys he leaves
behind.  I was wondering if you can continue on investigating this
story we are willing to go public if need be to find who did this.
We thought they were caught because that is what we were told.
Please help my cousin was a great man and father and deserves justice.

An excerpt from our story after the jump

Although we initially reported the unidentified man who was killed in this incident was from an unidentified street gang, officials now say the dead man was a member of the Azusa 13 Gang.

From Brian Day's story:

AZUSA - A man was shot to death early Sunday in a gang-related attack, authorities said.

The shooting occurred about 1:15 a.m. in an alley in the 100 block of Newburgh Street, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Rick Pedroza.

The dead man was initially described only as a 23-year-old Azusa resident pending notification of family members, said Los Angeles County

Department of Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben.

He is believed to have been a member of a local street gang, Deputy Derrick Thompson said.

The man died at the scene after being shot several times in the "upper torso," said Deputy Derrick Thompson.

 

In light of the seeming lack of progress experienced by Montebello PD investigating the shooting death of 12-year-old Albert Garcia and his father Juan at a graduation party two weeks ago, I've been thinking cities that contract with the Sheriff's Department for their investigations probably have better results.

I have no proof of this. It's just a thought. And clearly the Sheriff's Department has its share of stalled investigations. The Sammantha Salas case from earlier this year in Monrovia comes to mind.

Montebello isn't the only area city that doesn't immediately turn to the vast resources of the Bulldogs. Others include Covina, Pomona, Pasadena and West Covina.

What do you think?

 

 

The lightning strike-caused wildfire in Big Sur contined to rage Saturday. The governor's declared a state of emergency and is expected to speak this afternoon regarding the fire crisis in Northern California.

Here's the inciweb update from Big Sur.

If it's true it's called patricide.

Here's what we know:

WHITTIER - A father collapsed and died Thursday after a fight with his son, and the son has been arrested on suspicion of murder as officials investigate what caused the death, authorities said.

The dead man was preliminarily identified as Joe Anthony Valverde, 56, of Whittier, said Los Angeles County Department Investigator Betsy Magdaleno.

His son, 34-year-old Isaac Gutierrez of Whittier, is being held in connection with the death, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said, however district attorney's officials will review the case and the coroner's findings to determine whether murder charges will ultimately be filed.

The rest of the story is here.

 The Johnny Depp-narrated documentary "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson" comes out in limited release Friday.

Despite my mixed feelings about Thomson's suicide, there is no better journalism to celebrate on Independence Day.  From the Chicago Tribune's review:

"Gonzo" could use more such insight. It's accessible, entertaining and hugely kinetic, packed with memorable songs from Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and many more icons of Thompson's era. Like all of Gibney's work, it's informative and a little titillating, just sensationalistic enough to grab a broader audience than the subject alone might warrant. And it's a fine portrait for neophytes looking for a first overview of Thompson's life, work and eventual well-telegraphed suicide. But like Thompson's work itself, it sometimes feels like a smoke screen, a colorful but distracting, distracted set of pretenses hiding as much as they reveal.

A man with a gun has apparently taken a hostage in Pasadena near the intersection of Michigan and Walnut, officials said. We are monitoring the situation.

This is occurring at a Massage Parlor, approximately 1190 block of Walnut 

As of 5:33 a man is in custody ...no one was hurt.

The man apparently came out waving a white t shirt when threatened by a Pasadena PD sharpshooter.

From the Associated Press:

Larry Harmon, who turned the character Bozo the Clown into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century, died Thursday at his home of congestive heart failure, his publicist told The Associated Press. He was 83.

Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular frizzy-haired clown in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to others, particularly dozens of television stations around the country. The stations in turn hired actors to be their local Bozos.

Bozo participated in the 1996 Rose Parade.

My column on Thompson's suicide after the jump

Reporter Brian Day is near the scene of a chemical plant explosion in the 700 block of South 7th Street in Industry  evacuations are possibly planned police are being to told to wear gas masks..

*The explosion and fire was at the Quemetco battery plant, according to Brian who now has a visual on the fire.

*Quemetco has a long history of run ins with neighbors and the AQMD over emmissions. We will be updating our online story as soon as we get more information.

A few years back, I found myself smoking a cigarette and holding a sun-warmed can of cerveza on Estero Beach just south of Ensenada on the Fourth of July.

Standing on the sand, I was surprised when one of those lawnmower- powered planes buzzed a few feet over my head before its pilot touched down amid the beach towels and sunbathers.

Later on in the day, I cruised Ensenada's main drag, Avenida Mateos Lopez, in search of fireworks. We celebrated Independence Day on the beach, firing off as many rockets and noisemakers as we had. Passers-by and (perhaps more importantly) the cops completely ignored us. It was a blast.

I tried to imagine what the reaction to similar events on a Southern California beach would be. No doubt the cops would be called. As for the personal airplane, the FAA or Homeland Security would find a way to get involved.

Mexico, for all its flaws, seemed to have a lot more freedom than the United States. At least before the drug wars began in earnest last year.

The next day we followed a dry riverbed that doubled as a road out to the Guadalupe Valley. The huge vineyards that have been there since the days of the Spanish missions are everywhere.

We ate barbecued borrego and sipped port right out of the barrel. For dessert, the vineyard owner had me skim flies off the top of a vat of muscatel.

"You know the word for fly in Spanish?" he said. "It's mosca - as in muscatel."

It's much funnier after a couple of drinks, but you get the picture.

I got to thinking about this trip and our seeming loss of personal freedom after reading a book about a guy that author Nat B. Read claims basically founded Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. It's titled "From Mountain Man to Mayor: Don Benito Wilson, Los Angeles 1841 to 1878."

Read's description of a pastoral and fiercely free Alta California full of Spanish-speaking natives, dangerous wildlife and beautiful vineyards got me thinking of how the interior of Baja California is probably a lot like the San Gabriel Valley of a century ago.

Although the vineyards, orange groves and other vestiges of Don Benito's time have pretty much vanished, traces of him and the Valley's past remain. I always point to San Gabriel as the link. It's an interesting place to visit on Independence Day.

At the San Gabriel Mission, there's a plaque commemorating 1776, the year the padres moved from Montebello to San Gabriel. The adobe wall it's mounted on is as old as the founding of our country.

Then there's the Church of Our Saviour on Roses Road. There's a statue of Don Benito there. But even more impressive is a stained glass window depicting Wilson's grandson slaying a dragon covered with swastikas.

His grandson? Gen. George S. Patton.

We may not have the freedom we used to have, but thankfully our history can't be as easily taken away.

A longtime subscriber from Walnut called this morning to say she's had enough of Moe the Chimp. Here's a short transcript of what she told me:

"I think we've had enough of Moe on the front page I'd like to see world events on the front page I dont' think it should be that way.
I'm a long time subscriber in Walnut and what's important in this world today is our safety not Moe the Chimp. We need other news on the front page and Moe needs to go inside the paper.

Meanwhile, Moe's adventure through a nudist camp is heating up the blogs. Here's a sample:

A "Morning Zoo" show in Florida had this headline, Toilet-trained chimp on the run in Calif. Forest. Here's the link to WFLS.

Monkeys in the news goes with the nudist and rattlesnakes angle here. 

Trials and Trebulations has this story: "Moe and the US Celebrate Freedom"

Blogger Jessica Hardy reprints an Associates Press article then takes it to the Davises and Jungle Exotics:

Let's talk about the chimp being subjected to summersaults or better yet jumping through hoops of fire or riding on an elephant's back wearing a dress and some lipstick. With the name Jungle Exotic, I can only imagine what else might be going on between animals. If I was being molested for human purposes, I'd rather die in the wild too.

 

A male exotic dancer from Azusa has been charged with rape in Klamath Falls Oregon, officials said.

The dancer, who was not identified, is part of a touring company that provides entertainment at bars throughout the county. Here's the story, (its a little stale)

The From Noise to Voice blog of an Arcadia resident reports a frightening find on the street outside his home:

This morning, I found our mailbox in pieces, laying on the ground, ran over by a car during the night. My house is next to a high traffic intersection. It's not a strange thing a car jumped the curb and ran up to the sidewalk. It has happened before...

As I was picking up the pieces, I found a note stuffed inside the mailbox...How nice, I thought to myself, the guy is nice enough to leave me his/her contact information...

Boy, was I wrong! I found the scribble be...

"JAPS GO HOME"

My message to the person who did this...

First of all, I am an American! A Chinese American, proud to be!!! Go home? Home is here!!! If you don't like it, YOU GO HOME!!! You are a coward! You did this hiding in the dark of the night...

Here's the rest of the entry

This from an IM after this story appeared on the net.

OK I know you HAD to have something to do with getting "NUDE" and "MOE" together in the same headline
Sex sells, and sex mixed with runaway chimps sells even more.
I think you guys have officially taken the whole Moe thing a little too far.

<snip>

Hey Frank, I think I spotted Moe!!!
He's turned up as a ... hemorroid. he's just like one, because you just can't GET RID OF HIM.
there's your next Web update..

*looks like the "Diary of  Nudist" blog  is uncovering more connections in this latest report.

 

 

 

At his press conference this morning, attorney Mark Geragos replayed video from a Korean language newscast showing the last minutes of Michael Cho's life.

Cho was shot and killed in a confrontation with police officers outside a La Habra liquor store during the holidays.

An investigation by the Orange County DA's office backed the police officers who took part in the shooting. Geragos is hoping a civil suit against the PD will get Cho's grieving family some money.

Here's a YouTube video of the channel 18 broadcast. (Note: it's delivered in Korean) You can clearly see Cho approach the officers. The shooting takes place off camera. I'm sure some of the officers who read this blog can provide a blow-by-blow explaining the tactics used by the two officers in the video...

Video on the jump

The strange case of Michael Cho is about to go big time as celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos takes the family's case to court.

Geragos is scheduled to hold a press conference in Los Angeles at 11 a.m. today to discuss his case against the La Habra Police Department for their handling of the incident.

There's a Justice for Michael Cho web site that's cropped up as well.

I'll update this after the press conference... looks like Geragos is going to release a video of the actual incident.

Some local connections in the case. La Habra Police Chief Dennis Kies if a former member of the Baldwin Park PD

Michael Cho attended Walnut High School.

 

 

Moe the chimp has taken over the blog-o-sphere. Here's some other views on West Covina's favorite simian:

TMZ.com says "Monkey Flee, Monkey Do."

Overlawyered has some interesting links and a comprehensive legal history of the Moe story.

Monkeys in the news, a blog that does just what it promises; ie; puts monkeys in the news.

As Maine goes is moe-tivated by the coverage;

Huffington Post gets in on the act.

The Chum Slick ("written by an actual shark")  praises St. James and LaDonna Davis for their commitment to Moe.

While we can't really endorse the housepetification of wildlife, we admire the Davis's commitment to Moe. Most people don't even have that kind of commitment to their own children. We hope Moe is safe in the overdeveloped "wilds" of Southern California.

Police discovered 1600 doses of ecstasy, 1.5 pounds of coke and 1.5 pounds of pot from a home int he 300 block of East Harrison just after midnight, officials said.

They also found a firearm and $1,500 at the location.

Arrested were Francisco Soto, 22, of Pomona; and Michael Bravo, 29, of Pomona.

Brian Wunk, 21, remains at large.

 

Brian Day on Chimp Patrol today reports how the public can help in the search for Moe the Chimp:

*Park a car on Cajon Boulevard and keep watch for Moe with binoculars.

*If the chimp is cited, do not approach. Immediately call the San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control Program at (800) 472-5609.

*Stay clear of Jungle Exotics, 16215 Cajon Blvd., so Moe is not scared off should he try to return.

*Be on the lookout for chimp tracks or other evidence that Moe has been in the area. If found, report them immediately to animal control.

Byron Herrera, 39, of Pasadena, was arrested and held on $1 million bail Tuesday after he attempted to abduct a child at a home in the 1800 block of N. Raymond Avenue, officials said.

Here's what the Pasadena PD told reporter Brian Day:

"Shortly before noon the victim's mother observed the suspect grab the child by her shoulders and start to pull her into the front door of his apartment. The mother immediately notified her brothers and they ran to the suspect's residence, The suspect saw them and flen the residence. The suspect was located in the 1800 block of N. Raymond."

 

 

Eustolia De La Torre holds pictures of her two sons, Sergio, left, and
Michael who were both gunned down within a year in separate shootings.
Michael, 19, who was shot while standing in front of a home in
Altadena on Saturday, June 28, 2008. Sergio, 34, was shot in  July 2007. Suspects in that shooting are currently on trial. Pictured at her
home in Pasadena on Tuesday, July 1, 2008. (SGVN/Staff photo by Robert
Hong/SXCITY)

Reporter Brian Day is on "Chimp Patrol" today. He's keeping track of all the moving and shaking going on in the search for the missing marsupial monkey  ape.

Meanwhile the powers that be here in the newsroom are thinking of ways to capitalize on Mo Mania

"We can market shirts, coffee mugs, kites, commerative dvds with outtake videos, mouse pads;  mice shaped like Moe," said one skilled marketeer.

"Yeah and when people order it we tell em we can't find it ...it's missing," said another brilliant newsroom mind.

Meanwhile, I'm unveiling our official Chimp Patrol logo -- its at left.

Three teens arrested in the slaying of Bryan Romo, 16, of Colton, have yet to be charged by the District Attorney's office.

The West Covina Police Department annouced the arrests Monday. The DA's office has no record of an arrest in the case. There is word that a fourth person is being sought in the case.

I drove by the crime scene in the 1400 block of East Puente Avenue this morning, I shot this photo of a memorial at the site.

 

 

We're halfway through hands-free Tuesday and cell phone users ignoring the new law are apparently plentiful.

I know I saw at least two people talking on the phone this a.m. on my way in. Both had something in common: both were women and both were driving slow and I was stuck behind 'em.

We've had reporters and photogs out in the field doing ride-alongs and they've seen some interesting stuff today.

KFI reporter Shannon Farren said she spotted nine people using their cell phones westbound on the 10 between downton and the 405 this morning. One was using the phone and smoking.

*As for now, I'm suffering through an extreme case of nomophobia.

Here's the photo caption:

Here's California Highway Patrol officer Joe Zizi from the Santa Fe Springs CHP office gives a citation to a female on Rose Hills Road in Whittier for Hands-Free Cell Phone violation on July 1, 2008.  Today is the first day the law goes into effect.  The La Habra woman, who did not want to give her name, said she had been working too long and forgot about the new law. (Raul Roa) 

 

The newest conglomerate in the adult beverage industry will be named Miller/Coors.

My guess is the beers will stay the same. I prefer Miller High Life (The Champagne of Bottled Beer) in the "thirsty-two" ounce clear bottle.

Here's a link to the new logo

 

Web readers are giving us differing opinions about Moe the Chimp coverage.

Crime Scene readers seem in favor of the coverage, while readers of the home page are against it.

We'll keep on top of it throughout the day and may consider switching to coverage of CM Punk.

View Larger Map

Here's our story

IRWINDALE- Crews continue to clean up a tanker spill after four cars of a freight train derailed this morning on Azusa Canyon Road.

No one was hurt in the accident, which Los Angeles County Fire dispatch supervisor Andre Gougis says occurred at about 3:50 a.m. Tuesday.

A hazardous materials team responded because of the leak, but Gougis says the substance turned out to be nontoxic.

The incident occurred on tracks belonging to Union Pacific near the intersection of Arrow Highway and Azusa Canyon Road. No streets were closed because of the derailment and no one was evacuated.