We’re back up

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.

 

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“Professional and cute Asian girls”

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.

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Cops arrest a Joker

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:

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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.”

 

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Justifying IndyMac: avoiding accountability through regulations.

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 nave 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 184th Infantry out of Fullerton, CA..The 184th
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.

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Not the Times

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:

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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 

 

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Local firefighters help out in Mariposa County

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.

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Five shot at Norwalk house party

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.

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Actor Shia LaBeouf arrested in Hollywood DUI

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.

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“We have not forgotten about him”

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?

Continue reading ““We have not forgotten about him”” »

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Gang Boy

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.

 

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