Woman in forclosure threatens to chain herself to bank

A San Gabriel woman facing foreclosure because of a second mortgage has threatened to chain herself inside a bank this morning in protest of the bailout plan and the bank’s unwilllingness to help her out of a jam. Here’s an early version of the story we have just posted:



SAN GABRIEL – Facing foreclosure on her home, a woman has vowed to handcuff herself inside a Wachovia bank branch in San Gabriel to protest what she says is the bank’s unwillingness to listen to her.

Irene Garcia claims Wachovia defrauded her on loan documents. She says her efforts to get the bank to look into her complaints have been to no avail. Legal Aid and other groups she’s turned to for help have also brushed her off, Garcia claims.

“We tried everythng — no one wants to listen to us. We’re losing our home, and nobody seems to care.”

Efforts are being made to contact Wachovia officials for comment on Garcia’s claims.

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“Our Gang’s” Buddy was quite a character

Reporter Amanda Baumfeld turned in a great obituary about Buddy McDonald, one fo the original Little Rascals. He died this week in a Seal Beach retirement home. Here’s a snippet of Baumfeld’s piece:

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What he might not be known for is his endless dedication and work in substance abuse counseling, those who know him said.

In the 1950 s, McDonald developed a drinking problem and ended up in Alcoholics Anonymous. It was a move that ended up being a “significant turning point of his life,” according to his son, Scott.

Soon after, McDonald became a popular speaker at AA meetings throughout Southern California and strived to help people regain control of their lives.

In 1965, he met Leon Emerson, a Downey Municipal Court judge. The two of them thought people convicted of alcohol-related offenses should be sent to AA meetings instead of jail.

I also found an interview with Buddy that ran on a Web site devoted to Laurel and Hardy comedies. The interview is fascinating and describes a robbery conviction from the 1950s:

Question: What did they send you to prison for?

Bud McDonald: Robbery. I was with some other guys, and we robbed a market. I had just come out of the marine corps, served in Guadalcanal. I didn’t know any better, I didn’t have any money to get an attorney, so I took a public defender. He got me to cop a plea. I plead guilty. Later on, when I was sober about a dozen years after Alcoholics Anonymous, a probation officer named Brown in Walnut Park gave me some advice. He was going to law school and we found a law I didn’t know about and together with my sponsor, a man named Carson, they got all my felonies taken back to court and the guilty pleas removed and the not guilty pleas entered. All my citizenship rights and everything else were restored to me.
 

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KFI reporter blogging from OJ trial

KFI’s Steve Gregory is blogging live reports from Las Vegas, where OJ Simpson is on trial for robbery. He’s put together some pretty interesting tidbits covering, testimony, acrimony and disharmony.

Here’s an excerpt from one of yesterday’s entries:

WOW – what an afternoon……Walter Alexander just finished his testimony….the defense wanted to impeach his testimony because of allegations that Alexander’s a pimp and owns a website that hires out hookers. Judge says NO. Prosecution says all of that came up in preliminary hearings and they could have stopped it then. At one point, Simpson attorney, Yale Galanter, approached Alexander in the witness stand and began reading a transcript — Alexander says, “Step Back” – Galanter says, “No, I’m going to do what the prosecution does” – the bailiff starts to go over…the judge tells Galanter to step back and chews his ass out for disobeying a request from the witness and an order from the court!!!

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Barricade situation in Monrovia*

A woman who apparently threatened Sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday with a shotgun is apparently barricaded ina home in the 100 block of Magnolia with a shotgun.

Now she’s apparently threatening Monrovia officers who are outside her home.

We’ll get an update as soon as more information becomes available.

*THe woman is apparently distraught about an eviction.

She called several local television stations to discuss her grievances, according to reporter Robert Hong.

As of 6:22 she remains holed up. Fortunately, looks like the local TV stations cared more about Bush’s address to the nation.

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Former Baldwin Park cop likely headed to prison

Dave Gunderson, a former member of the Baldwin Park Police Department, is probably headed to state prison after his conviction on several firearm related charges.

From The Eureka Times-Standard:

Former Blue Lake Police Chief David Gundersen faces a state prison sentence of up to three years and eight months for the illegal possession of a submachine gun and a pistol with a silencer, charges a jury convicted him of on Wednesday.

Gundersen will also be sentenced for 11 charges of battery, each of which carry a maximum six month county jail term or a fine of $2,000, or both. He originally faced 24 counts of spousal rape with the use of intoxicant, which carried far longer sentences that might have totaled 72 to 192 years in prison.

The felony firearms convictions effectively end Gundersen’s career as a law enforcement officer, and the misdemeanor battery convictions make would make it illegal for Gundersen to possess firearms.

Gundersen was found not guilty of attempting to dissuade the victim of a crime, but guilty of violating a court order. He will be sentenced on Oct. 22.

On Tuesday, the jury sent a note to Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson shortly before 2 p.m. announcing that it had arrived at a verdict. Since one juror had to leave early, the judge postponed the reading of the verdict until this morning.

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OIS in Pico overnight

Here’s what we’ve posted in the Whittier Daily News. Very few datails have emerged in the wake of the shooting:

PICO RIVERA – Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said a deputy was involved in a shooting at about 12:53 Wednesday morning at Rosemead Boulevard and Reichling Lane in Pico Rivera.

No sheriff’s deputies were injured in the incident, but officials have declined to say whether any suspect was hurt or killed.

According to a sheriff’s press release, “two male hispanic adults” are listed as suspects in the incident.

The department has sent internal affairs investigators to the scene to learn more about what happened, according to the press release. Sgt. Rich Pena said the department will soon provide more details.

At least two bullet holes were visible in a truck belonging to a neighbor, and officials towed another car from the driveway.

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Man stabbed in La Puente

Not much detail yet, but reports from the overnight police logs indicate there was a stabbing in La Puente near Nogales High School just before 10 p.m.

Sheriff’s homicide is handling the investigation into the case. The slaying happened near the intersection of La Puente Road and Nogales Avenue.

Here’s the latest on our Web site. I’ve also posted a map of the area below.

 


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A billboard on the border

The FBI hopes to catch a man suspected of opening fire on two cops in Whittier by erecting a billboard at the border. Here’s the top portion of their press release:

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The FBI has purchased a billboard, visible to vehicles traveling across the Tijuana/San Diego border, as part of its ongoing publicity campaign to find and capture Emigdio Preciado, a fugitive on the FBI’s national list of “Ten Most Wanted,” announced Salvador Hernandez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles . The billboard, which will be posted for approximately three months, displays three photographs of Preciado and contact numbers for the FBI in Los Angeles, the United States Consulate General in Guadalajara, Mexico, and a special number established by the FBI’s Fugitive Task Force to directly respond to tips, (888) CANT-HIDE

A similar billboard that was errected in Whittier last year has been defaced several times by thugs hoping to hide the face of Preciado.

That’s his mugshot and here’s a link to the wanted information from the FBI.

Other’s on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list include Osama Bin Laden and “Whitey” Bulger

 

 

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Manling Williams preliminary hearing delayed again

The preliminary hearing for Manling Williams, 28, who is accused of killing her husband with a sword and smothering their two young children in their beds at their Rowland Heights home was again delayed, officials said.

The hearing, at which a judge determines whether there is enough evidence to hold the defendant for trial, was scheduled for today (Tuesday) after numerous delays.

Deputy District Attorney Pak Kouch said the hearing was continued to Oct. 15 after a sealed motion was filed by the defense. She declined to comment further on the reason for the delay.

Neal Williams, 27, and his two sons, Devon, 7, and Ian, 3, were found dead in their home on the morning of Aug. 8, 2007.

Manling Williams, who initially told officials she was not home when the killings occurred, was arrested later that night on suspicion of murder.

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