This from a U.S. Justice Department press release:

Sam Ching Sheng Lee, Part-Owner and Chief Operations Manager of Multimillion Business Associate Corporation ("MBA"), and his nephew, Charles Yu Hsu Lee, made initial appearances in United Stated District Court in Los Angeles today on federal charges related to a conspiracy to procure and illegally export sensitive technology to the People's Republic of China.
        Sam Lee, 63, native of China, and Charles Lee, 31, native of Taiwan, were arrested on Tuesday morning in Hacienda Heights, California.  Both men are charged in an indictment filed on December 16, 2008, and unsealed today with felony counts of conspiracy and exporting national security controlled items without a license in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Export Administration Regulations.        
        The indictment alleges that Sam Lee and Charles Lee, doing business as MBA, an import/export business located in Hacienda Heights, assisted persons in China to illegally procure export controlled thermal-imaging cameras.  During the period between April 2002 and July 2007, defendants allegedly exported a total of ten thermal-imaging cameras to China in circumvention of export laws.  After being advised of strict export restrictions, Charles Lee allegedly purchased the cameras from U.S. suppliers for approximately $9,500 a piece by withholding the fact that the devices were destined to China.  His uncle, Sam Lee, then received the devices and through his Hacienda Heights company, arranged for their shipment to Shanghai, China without obtaining proper licenses.  One of the recipients is alleged to be an employee of a company in Shanghai engaged in the development of infrared technology.       
        The thermal-imaging cameras are controlled for export to China by the Department of Commerce for national security and regional stability reasons because of their use in a wide variety of military and civilian applications.  At no time did Sam Lee or Charles Lee have authorization in the form of a license from the Department of Commerce to export the thermal-imaging cameras to China.
        "Combating the illegal flow of highly sensitive U.S. technology to foreign countries is vital to our national security, " said United States Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien.  "The multi-agency efforts leading to the arrests in this case demonstrate our unyielding dedication to aggressively prosecute those who engage in such conduct."     
        If convicted, both men face a maximum statutory penalty of 25 years in federal prison.

A press release from the DA's office just moved:

PASADENA - A 29-year-old Saugus resident was charged today with raping two women and threatening them with a box cutter, the District Attorney's office announced.

Jason Keith Renaux, (dob 10-31-79), is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. at Pasadena Superior Court, Dept. D. He is charged in case GA075499 with three counts of forcible rape and one count of forcible oral copulation with the special allegation he used a deadly weapon, a box cutter. He is being held on $1.4 million.

Renaux is charged with allegedly raping a 19-year-old woman on Dec. 27 after he picked her up on Colorado Boulevard at Kinneloa Avenue and drove her to the 3800 block of East Foothill Boulevard. The woman escaped and gave police the suspect's license number. An investigation led police to a second victim, who said she was attacked in a similar way on Nov. 28.

If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

This was in my morning notes from reporter Emma Gallegos. I'll provide more information when it's available:

I

just got off the phone with lt. dewar at pas, and he said that they will be putting out a release and photo today with the man accused of raping two women at knifepoint.

Here's some of what Emma has learned:

*they don't believe the victim from saturday knew the first -- cns reported that they were friends but dewar said that wasn't the case *the victim from a month ago was sought out by police -- she didn't come forward on her own. she identified the same man and car independently of the second victim *the suspect is an independent contractor -- he may have had work that took him here *neither of the women knew the suspect previously

Reporter Amanda Baumfeld, who has been covering the Christmas Eve Massacre since day one caught up with Sylvia Pardo's best frend, a Pomona woman who shared her memories Monday. Here's the top of the story:

COVINA - Roxanne Jauregui talked to her best friend Sylvia Pardo nearly every day for the last 30 years.

Monday she remained unable to cope with the fact that Sylvia is gone. So, Jauregui continues to leave messages on a cell phone owned by Sylvia trying to hold onto their daily routine.

"I continue to talk to her as if she was still here," Jauregui, of Pomona, said. "We would talk almost everyday after work; she would tell me her private issues...I know her inside and out. I still believe that she is going to call me."

What kind of monster dresses as Santa Claus and shoots an 8-year- old girl in the face as she expectantly greets him at the front door on Christmas Eve?

What kind of monster systematically executes nine people with semiautomatic handguns, takes out a homemade flamethrower festooned with Christmas wrapping and burns a two-story house to the ground?

What kind of monster takes out a whole family gathered together to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace?

What kind of monster rigs his rental car to explode with the hope that more victims will be added to the unfathomable death toll?

What kind of monster could be so enraged by a failed marriage and an acrimonious divorce that he could be driven to commit the most evil acts imaginable?

Those questions have been on my mind since Christmas Day. It was then we first learned that Bruce Pardo, 45, of Montrose killed nine members of the same family who had gathered at a Covina home on Knollcrest Drive.

An explosion from the blaze Pardo set off seared the Santa suit to his flesh. His getaway to Moline, Ill., or Davenport, Iowa, became unlikely.

Pardo, who spent months planning his attack, slipped past police responding to the horrific scene and made his way to a brother's home in Sylmar.

The questions began to form in the minds of first responders who spent early Christmas morning grappling with the monster's appetite for destruction.

But the monster did not stick around to answer the questions. The monster took the coward's way out. He saved the last semi-automatic round for himself, completing the purchase of his one-way ticket to hell.

As a result, there is no accounting for the pure evil of the monster other than facts that could apply to anyone.

The monster lived among us.

The monster had a family.

The monster felt affection for his dog.

The monster achieved high grades in high school.

The monster attended college.

The monster worked as a software engineer.

The monster's friends recalled him as quiet and unassuming.

The monster spent his Sunday evenings ushering the children's Mass at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montrose.

The monster wished acquaintances Merry Christmas.

The questions and the irrelevance of the answers loomed large on Knollcrest Drive on Monday morning -- five days after the massacre that likely claimed the lives of Jose and Alicia Ortega, two of their sons, two of their daughters-in-law, two daughters and a grandson.

I went there hoping to learn something -- anything.

I left there with a profound feeling of despair and sadness for a loving and close-knit family taken out by a selfish, soulless and sociopathic monster who turned a day of joy into something we will never understand or comprehend.

Brian Day reports that KFI's top-notch crime reporter Eric Leonard upped the ante in the tale fo Bruce Pardo this afternoon.

Leonard is reporting that Pardo planned to not only kill the Ortega family, but expected to find his own mother at that same Christmas party.

Additionally, Leonard is apparently reporting that Pardo's second getaway car, was located close to the home of Scott Nord, the attorney who handled Sylvia Pardo's divorce case. The workign theory is that Pardo plotted to kill Nord and his family before making a final getaway.

Brian's working up a version of the story that we will release on line as soon as the details become clear.

Here's a link to Leonard's latest piece on the Christmas Eve massacre.

This from Glendale attorney Scott Nord, who is representing the surviving members of the Ortega family:

The events of Christmas Eve have left the families devastated by the horrific acts of Mr. Pardo. In their time of grief they ask that the media respect their privacy and provide solitude to grieve for their loss.

They are extremely grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers that have been offered for them in this time of crisis from around the entire world. They have felt your love for them and the prayers said on their behalf.

While there are no words which can help to cure the hurt that they are suffering, the thought that so many have opened their hearts to them provides them comfort. Offers of donations have been made to the family and they are truly grateful to those people who have done so.

A fund has been set up for monetary donations to help the family and checks can be mailed to Ortega Family Fund, C/O Law Offices of Scott J. Nord, 500 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 550, Glendale, California 91203.

While donations of other kinds have been made, and they are truly appreciated, they are not in the position to accept them at this time. Please make any nonmonetary donation to the charity of your choice in the name of the family. It is their desire that in this tragedy some others may receive some benefit from all the generosity being offered to them.

                                                                                The happy home lays in ruins. Folks with Mapquest printouts parade by only to reach the end of the Cul-de-sac and have to navigate a tight turn.

Family friends and relatives of the victims come by the pay their respects.

A simple note sums up how many must feel:

"I hope that your family will heal and get past this tragedy.

Your family is in our thoughts and prayers.

May God be with you always.

May 2009 be filled with happiness.

--Your neighbor.

 

The pictures are two of several I shot. One is of clearly grieving relatives approaching the burnt out house where the Ortega family once lived. The other shows a smaller group of the same relatives paying their respects at a memorial to the family. Camera crews captured the moment on video.

 

 

Nearly a week since the Christmas Eve Massacre, a Covina neighborhood is struggling to return to normal. Reports of media, looky-loos even a random politician or two have filtered into the newsroom.

I'll be heading out there about 11:30 a.m. to take a look myself.

How long is it appropriate for this sort of thing to go on?

We're wondering that here today. If you have any thoughts, please feel free to share them.

Here's some of the most recent stories recanting the tale of Bruce and Sylvia Pardo and the Christmas Eve Massacre:

KTLA: Authorities using dental records to identify victims.

Houston Chronicle: Thirteen children orphaned (from the LA Times).

Brian Day in the SGV Tribune: Details continue to emerge.

 

MONTROSE -- Pictured to the left is the unassuming home where Covina massacre suspect Bruce Pardo lived.

Christmas decorations remain on display, which neighbors said he erected shortly after Halloween.

Neighbors, like most others who knew Pardo, say they are shocked the man they knew as friendly, gentle and helpful could be responsible for the killings in Covina.

A notice from the water department hung on the door, and the mailbox was overflowing with mail.

A Cadillac Escalade, which neighbors said belonged to Pardo, remained parked in the driveway.

COVINA -- Covina police reported late Saturday that an airplane ticket found with the body of Covina massacre suspect Bruce Pardo was not to Canada, mas initially reported by the coroner's office, but rather was a ticket for a Canadian airline to Moline, Ilinois, on the Iowa border with a stop in St. Paul.

From there, Pardo had made plans to be picked up by from the airport by a friend in Iowa with whom he intended to stay, Covina police Lt. Pat Buchanan said.

His plans obviously derailed, however, as he was found at his brothers home dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound hours after the attack.

Pardo had suffered severe burns in the attack, police said, which may have prevented him from fleeing.

The photo of Alicia and Jose Ortega comes from the Mexican newspaper, "El Siglo de Torreon" which profiled the couple on their 50th wedding anniversary.

The couple and seven other members of their family are missing and presumed dead following a Christmas Eve massacre at their home on Knollcrest Drive in Covina.

Here's some of El Siglo's report (Translation by Google):

The family was killed by a man dressed as Santa Claus in Los Angeles have roots in Torreon, as owners of the house where the massacre occurred was a marriage from the city, in-laws of the murderer, Bruce Jeffrey Pardo.

A Toyota Rav4, apparently rented by Bruce Pardo in the days before he carried out the massacre of nine people celebrating Christmas at a Knollcrest Drive home, has been recovered, officials said.

A bomb squad investigation is now underway. THe car may be boobytrapped or contain explosives.

Here's the most recent update:

A sheriff's bomb squad is investigating a vehicle in Glendale they believe was rented by Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, the gunman in the Christmas Eve massacre who later killed himself.

A Glendale resident called police after noticing the abandoned vehicle, said Glendale police Sgt. Tom Lorenz.

A gray 1999 Toyota RAV4 was rented by Pardo from an agency in Pasadena Dec. 19 and should have been returned Friday, said Lt. Pat Buchanan of the Covina Police Department.

Police said Saturday they are seeking a second car that may be associated with Bruce Pardo, a gunman who dressed as Santa Claus who methodically killed nine people inside a Covina house on Christmas Eve.

The car a 1999 gray Toyota Rav4, may be rigged to explode.

Here's the story:

Meanwhile, a gray 1999 Toyota Rav4 rented by the suspect, Bruce Pardo, in recent weeks remains unaccounted for, Covina police Lt. Pat Buchanan.

Anyone who sees the SUV, which has a license plate number of 5RYD562, is advised not to approach it, the lieutenant said.

"We believe it may be booby trapped or contain explosives," he said.

A Dodge Caliber rented by the suspect and abandoned in Sylmar was rigged to explode when examined by investigators.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Nancy Windsor broke into violent sobs and tried to speak through them as she described her struggle to cope with her son Bruce Jeffrey Pardo's Christmas Eve massacre, in which he killed his ex-wife and eight members of her close-knit family.

"I have to be honest with you, I'm having trouble holding myself together," Windsor aid today in a brief telephone interview with The Times from the hotel where she is staying

A small bouquet of flowers was left a few homes away from the crime scene at 1129 Knollcrest Drive where the Christmas Eve murders took place in Covina, photographed on Friday, December 26, 2008. (Photo by Raul Roa)  

Dressed as Santa, Bruce Pardo, 45, of Montrose, opened fire with four semi-automatic handguns on a party at the home of his ex-wife's family. He then sprayed the home with a flamethrower, which burned the home to the ground.

The Santa Claus suit worn by suspect Bruce Pardo is pictured on the
front seat of his 2008 Dodge Caliber SUV which was driven to the
Knollcrest Drive house and later found in Simi Valley.   The suit was
apparantly booby-trapped and after being moved ignited an incendiary
device which fully engulfed the vehicle in flames.  (Photo courtesy
Covina Police rcd Dec. 26, 2008)

 

 

The photo at left shows Pardo's car after the suit ignited and burned.

This from the City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced
today the recovery of a stolen 850-pound emerald -- reportedly worth $370 million --
but released few details about the case.
The so-called "Bahia Emerald" was recovered last Friday in Las Vegas, according to a
sheriff's department news release.
The gem was stolen from a secured vault in South El Monte in September
and later warehoused in the Nevada gambling town, said Lt. Thomas Grubb of the
sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau.
The unidentified individuals who were in possession of the emerald in Las Vegas
initially agreed to release it once the lawful owner was identified, but deputies
returned to the prearranged location armed with a court order, according to
Grubb.
Grubb said he was precluded from releasing information regarding the owner of the
stone because of pending litigation. He added it was difficult to determine details
about the rightful owner because so many people were involved with the stone.
"A judge is going to have to rule on who the rightful owner is," Grubb said. "There
is some civil litigation involved, but there will also be criminal proceedings."
No arrests were made, but the investigation continues, he said.
The stone, which reportedly contains the largest spires of emeralds in the world, is
being stored by the sheriff's department pending release to the lawful owner. The
emerald is believed to be the second largest stone of its kind in the world,
according to the sheriff's department.

 

Pictures courtesy Covina PD Lt. Buchannan, who wrote:

The photographs attached to this e-mail are of the device Suspect
Pardo brought with him to the Knollcrest house. What you see depicted in the photogrpahs is the tank from a compressor where the actual compressor mechanism has been removed. Added on to the compressor tank is another
smaller tank. We believe the smaller tank held the high octane racing
fuel and the larger of the two tanks held compressed air. We believe
Suspect Pardo added plumbing to where he could attach a hose line
with a sprayer on the end. The hose line was consumed in the fire and we have yet to find the sprayer end. In several of the photogrpahs, you can
see the Christmas wrapping paper stuck to the upper tank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This from Ruby Gonzales:

Sylvia Pardo, 43, had three children. They survived the massacre.

She didn't have a criminal record. Records show she has lived in Oklahoma and Texas.

She worked as a sales and marketing assistant at John Bodger and Sons Inc. in South El Monte. It operates under the business name Bodger Seeds, Ltd.

News of the killing surprised her employer.

"I was deeply shocked," said company president Jack Bodger. He had never met Bruce Pardo.

Bodger said Sylvia Pardo had been with them six or seven years.

"She was an excellent employee. Very kind. Always considerate of others," Bodger said.

Sylvia Pardo married Bruce Jeffrey Pardo on Jan. 29, 2006. The couple separated Feb. 25, 2008 and Sylvia Pardo filed for divorce on March 24, 2008, according to court records.

The couple had a court hearing Dec. 18.

Covina police have released a chilling 11 minute 911 call in the moments immediately following Bruce Pardo's murderous rampage through the home of his former in-laws on Knollcrest in Covina.

A woman named Leticia describes her daughter's injury as a gunshot wound to the face. She also identifies the shooter as likely being Bruce Pardo.

Leticia made the call and described the moments just after Parso barged into her parents house and began shooting. We'll have the tape up as soon as possible.

 Here's the 911 call

*We had some technical difficulties running the Covina police press conference live. Here's a videotape of the event:

 

At a 2 p.m. press conference Covina police Chief Kim Raney assembled a portrait of Bruce Pardo that seemed to indicate his attack was carefully planned.

Pardo and his wife Sylvia had settled a contentious divorce just last Thursday, Raney said.

Here's some excerpts from Raney's briefing:

At 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, the family in the Knollcrest home had gathered for their annual Christmas party.

Pardo, driving a small, compact car parked at a neighbor's home. Wearing a Santa suit, Pardo approached the home with a homemade flame thrower that utilized oxygen or CO2 and racing fuel.

Pardo gained entry to the house and was approached by an 8-year-old girl who thought she was greeting Santa.

"He shot her in the face," Raney said.

Pardo was armed with four handguns. All were emptied in the commission of the crime.

Pardo shot indiscriminately, Raney said.

There were intended targets in the home, among them Pardo's ex wife and in-laws.

The explosion that resulted from Pardo's homemade device caused him to have 3rd degree burns on both arms. The Santa suit melted to his body, Raney said.

He then drove to Sylmar and took his own life.

Investigators found $17,000 in case saranwrapped to Pardo's leg. He also had a plane ticket for a flight from LAX to Canada.

"He didn't anticipate being injured," Raney said.

Pardo  worked at JPL in the 80s and 90s. He was recently laid off from a job elsewhere. Following the layoff, Pardo left the area and may have traveled to the midwest or east coast.

It is unclear how long he had planned the crime spree.

There was no restraining order in the divorce case, Raney said.

Pardo had no military experience.

A resume found at his Montrose home indicated Pardo claimed to have both a BA and MA in Electrical Engineering.

Ed Winter, speaking for the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said that nine bodies recovered int he home were burned and charred and "not recognizable."

"We haven't determined if the cause of death was due to a gunshot wound or becaseu of the fire."

 

 

Here's a link to a page that may be Sylvia Orza-Ortega's profile on Classmates.com

She apparently attended Royal Oak High School in Covina and/or Cantwell Sacred Heart.

Here's a wiki entry for Covina which mentions the high school and some famous alums.

The Covina PD will hold a press conference updating with information from their investigation into the Christmas Eve massacre.

We'll carry a live feed here and on the SGVN website. Details to come.

 

There are published reports via the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times that a ninth body was found at the Knollcrest home where Bruce Pardo, 45, dressed as Santa and systematically massacred guests at the home of his former inlaws on Christmas Eve.

Neither story cites a named source, although nine people who attended the party remain unaccounted for, police said.

We haven't been able to confirm those reports through police or the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.

Also Pardo worked at Northrup Grumman, not JPL, and had been fired several weeks ago.

The Times story has some interesting details about Pardo and the divorce from his wife Sylvia. Including information about a secret child that divided the couple.

 

Friends of Bruce Pardo are telling our reporters that the man who donned a Santa suit before killing as many as nine people in a Covina home was distraught over losing his job.

He may also have been distraught after his mother's home was among several trailers lost in the Sylmar fire in November.

The damaged backyard from a fire at a home where a man dressed in
Santa suit opened fire at a Christmas Eve party.  At least eight
bodies were found in the Covina home on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008. The
suspect later shot himself in Sylmar.  (SGVN/Staff photo by Watchara
Phomicinda/SVCity)

A woman arrived at the Knollcrest home where at least 8 people were slain Christmas Eve and told reporters she once dated suspect Bruce Pardo. Speaking to a horde of reporters through the window of her SIlver Jetta, the woman said Pardo was never "like this"

Here's what we're adding to our story:

A woman who claimed to be an ex-girlfriend of Pardo's said he attended Cal State Northridge and was a straight-A student.,
Carol Sanchez, of Glendora, said she was shocked by the mass killing.
"He was never like this," Sanchez said.
Upon hearing of the killings, Sanchez reviewed pictures of when the couple dated, probably from between 1982 and 1986.
She said Pardo had been employed as a computer engineer at JPL, but was recently laid off.
Dicorve records indicate Pardo had been required to pay his ex-wife $10,000 on Dec. 19.
Published reports indicate Pardo was found with $10,000 and a plane ticket in his possession.

 

Here's a copy of the original filing in the Bruce and Sylvia Pardo divorce case. There's not a lot of detail. There didn't appear to be any sort of restraining order in the case. The two were recently in court. The rest of the record will be available later in the day.

Case: Bruce_Pardo.pdf.

View Larger Map

There's a whole host of news coming from the scene of the San Gabriel Valley's bloodiest massacre Christmas Eve.

Here's what Google News has rounded up.

Here's a whole host of aerospace articles that appear to have been written by the gunman.

Pardo may have been a weather specialist at JPL or a contractor for the Pasadena-based lab.

As for the latest news, staff writer Amanda Baumfeld reports that coroner's investigators have returned to the Knollcrest home to begin sifting for a ninth body.

A press conference at the site is scheduled for noon, Baumfeld said.

Here's photos from the crime scene.

Here's link to our latest story.

*Divorce records seem to indicate that Pardo owed his ex-wife Sylvia $10,000. Apparently he was carrying $10,000 and a plane ticket in his possession at the time of his death.

*Out of concern for raw feelings I've changed the headline of this entry. 

 

 

Covina police are looking for a man who apparently opened fire at a Christmas party early this morning. 

COVINA, Calif. (AP) -- A man dressed as Santa Claus opened fire at a Christmas Eve party in a suburban Los Angeles home that subsequently caught fire, leaving three people dead, police said.

The man arrived at the party in Covina late Wednesday and immediately opened fire with a handgun, police Lt. Pat Buchanan said.

Buchanan says three bodies were found after the fire was put out. He could not say how the fire started or how the three people died.

Buchanan says three other people were injured. A woman in her 20s and an 8-year-old girl had gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening, and a third person had a broken ankle.

Police are seeking a man they are calling a person of interest, 45-year-old Bruce Jeffrey Pardo. Buchanan said Pardo is the estranged husband of a person who may have been at the party.

Police received several 911 calls with reports of shots fired at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night, and were still hearing gunshots after they arrived and found the house in flames, Buchanan said.

At first, firefighters were held back by police because shots were still being fired, authorities said.

Firefighters had extinguished the blaze by about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, fire Captain Mike Brown said.

There was significant damage to the two-story home on a cul-de-sac in Covina, a quiet suburb 25 miles east of Los Angeles.

LA PUENTE -- Luz Ruiz said she hasn't celebrated Christmas since her son, Robert Ruiz, was fatally shot in 2005 at a West Covina house party.

This year she will, however, with support from a local philanthropic group and other family members of homicide victims.

She, along with three other families affected by homicide, gathered Tuesday at Luz Ruiz's home where members of the Man-e Moreno Foundation came with offerings of Christmas carols and toys for the children and siblings of homicide victims.

The Man-e Moreno Foundation was started by the family of Manuel Moreno, who was shot and killed in November of 2007. Manuel Moreno's brother, Robert Moreno, serves as president of the foundation.

Also gathered Tuesday were family members of homicide victims Eileen Ponce-Orta, Orlando Primmer and Sammantha Salas.

The children of the victims ripped open their gifts with glee, as the adults spoke to each other about healing and making a positive impact on society.

While many family members said it's never easy dealing with the loss of a loved one, they agreed having a network of support makes a world of difference.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department released the name of the man who took his son hostage in the bathroom of a restaurant in El Monte last night and was fatally shot by police.

Here's the link to the story from AP, and there's more to come from us, but here are some of the highlights:

According to the FBI, Manuel Benitez, 38, was wanted for the 2004 murder of his girlfriend. He allegedly bludgeoned her to death with a dumbbell in Hawthorne took off with his son. He's been on the run ever since, and the FBI are now looking for his mother Elizabeth Velasco, who they think had been traveling with Benitez and his son.

Ah, but it gets better. Benitez has the distinction of having his own IMDB page -- and not just because he starred as himself in an episode of "America's Most Wanted" in 2005.

Under the name Mark Everett, Benitez was a child actor with bit roles in "Stand and Deliver," "Pee Wee's Playhouse" and "Battlestar Galactica."

*The boy was apparently shot in the thigh.

*The boy and the man, described as a male in his 30s wearing army-type fatigues, were seen inside a Rite-Aid drug store where they attempted to buy clothes. At some point the suspect got spooked and fled to a nearby restaurant where he barricaded himself and the boy in a back room.

Here's live police audio from the scene.

What we know is here.

Apparently officers set off flash bangs -- devices designed to create a diversion in a hostage situation. Shots were fired. At least one person was taken from the scene in an ambulance. ABC 7 reported it was the six-year-old.

Our story:

EL MONTE - At least one person was injured Tuesday after police rushed into a restaurant where a little boy was being held hostage.

A hostage situation has come to an end after Police moved in on a man holding a 6-year-old boy hostage in a restaurant bathroom.

The condition of the boy and the suspect are not known, but both were taken away from the scene in ambulances.

Police used a flash bang grenade and the sound of shots fired could be heard, according to reports from the scene.

The fire department was also called to the scene.

Police were at the scene of a hostage situation involving the 6-year-old boy who was grabbed by a man with a handgun, officials said.

Around 3 p.m. officers were called to the Santa Fe Plaza, at the 3800 block of Santa Anita Avenue, after a boy was reportedly taken by a Latino man in his 30s, according to Detective Ralph Batres of the El Monte Police Department.

The man took the boy into a nearby restaurant and locked himself in the bathroom with the boy, officials said.

"We believe his armed with a 45 caliber handgun," Batres said. "At this time they are inside the Tai Pan restaurant and the situation is still ongoing."

Police do not know if the suspect is the boy's father.

The restaurant and surrounding businesses have all been evacuated, Batres said. Officers are currently inside the restaurant and would not confirm if they have made contact with the suspect

For the second time in the past year, La Habra police have been in the spotlight because of an officer involved shooting. This time an armed 70-year-old woman is dead. She was shot after officer reportedly feared for their safety.

Here's the latest information on the incident:

LA HABRA - A 70-year-old woman was shot and killed by officers in front of her home Monday night when she allegedly leveled a gun at them.

Jerry Nadine Lunceford died in her driveway on Chestnut Street after the confrontation with Orange County Sheriff's deputies and La Habra police officers. The officers went to the home in response to a 9-1-1 call about a suicidal woman around 10:15 p.m.

Assistant Sheriff Michael Hillmann said the deputies and officers feared for their safety.

"The deputies and officers were in a very frustrating situation created by the subject," Hillmann said Tuesday morning.

According to Hillmann, officers and deputies surrounded Lunceford's home when they arrived at the scene. Lunceford came out of the house alone, holding a gun. Police asked her to drop the weapon, but she refused, pointing it at them.

That's when three deputies - one of them using rubber bullets - and two La Habra police officers fired.

Hillmann said he did not know how many shots were fired, or if Lunceford's gun was loaded.

A transient is apparently holding a young child hostage near a Rite-Aid at the intersection of Santa Anita Avenue and Valley Mall in El Monte.

Very few details about the situation are available. Brian Day is rolling to the scene with a photographer in tow.

Several callers have informed us about the event. We're attempting to get more details now

This from the NYTimes:

Much of the increase has come from first-time offenders like Mr. Johnson making rash decisions in a pinch, the authorities say. But the ease with which stolen goods can be sold on the Internet has meant a bigger role for organized crime rings, which also engage in receipt fraud, fake price tagging and gift card schemes, the police and security experts say.

And as temptation has grown for potential thieves, so too has stores' vulnerability.

"More people are desperate economically, retailers are operating with leaner staffs and police forces are cutting back or being told to deprioritize shoplifting calls," said Paul Jones, the vice president of asset protection for the Retail Industry Leaders Association.

The problem, he said, could be particularly acute this December, "the month of the year when shoplifting always goes way up."

Other newspapers are apparently following the lead of the Times. There are stories this morning in the Kansas City Star and Minneapolis Star Tribune.  

Cyrus Yazdani, better known as "buket" the tagger who posted his exploits on YouTube, pleaded guilty to 32 counts of felony vandalism and admitted a special allegation that the damage exceeded $50,000.

As a result he'll get 314 days of county jail time, 256 hours of graffiti removal time and five years fo formal probation.

He received the sentence despite objections from the prosecution, which sought state prison time for the prolific tagger, who may have recently posted on this blog.

Here's the infamous video:

 

From the Sacramento Bee:

California Highway Patrolman Joseph Sanders was laid to rest today, one day after the 29-year-old officer would have successfully completed his probation period.

Sanders, a Galt High School graduate, had served just 359 days as a CHP officer - his longtime goal - before he was struck and killed one week ago today while conducting traffic in heavy rain on a Los Angeles County highway.

Hundreds of family, friends and uniformed officers gathered in Elk Grove this morning to remember Sanders, who had been assigned to the CHP's Santa Fe Springs area office in Southern California. Law enforcement officers from all across the state -- including a large contingent from Southern California -- and as far away as Texas filled the First Baptist Church to memorialize Sanders.

Sanders' death marks the CHP's first line-of-duty death of 2008 and the 214th in the CHP's 79-year history.

Those planning to attend a concert at the Great Western Forum in the near future are advised to be on their best behavior, as Inglewood police are apparently in the middle of a crackdown aimed at curbing illegal activities at concerts, as City News Service reports below:

INGLEWOOD -- More than 60 people were cited for possession of marijuana, underage possession of alcohol, supplying alcohol to minors or drinking off premises before and during recent concerts at the Forum, police said today.
Inglewood police and California Alcoholic Beverage Control investigators stepped up enforcement and issued the citations during AC/DC and Metallica concerts held at the Forum on Dec. 6 and last Wednesday and Thursday.
"The Inglewood Police Department is committed to providing the community and Forum patrons with a safe and family-like environment," said Inglewood police Sgt. Robert B. Pessis.
ABC has been conducting enforcement operations statewide to try to reduce drinking by minors, officials said. More than half of those ticketed at the Forum were minors with alcohol.
"Alcohol is still the number one drug of choice among high-school-age youth and we have to do everything we can to prevent tragedies that often accompany underage drinking," said ABC Assistant Director Joseph Cruz.
Last year 188 people under the age of 21 died in alcohol-related crashes in California, according to ABC.

Things are pretty bad in Detroit, bad enough to hurt business at Jon Jon's, a topless club in Warren, Mi. near GM's huge campus. Table dance prices have been cut in half, and drink prices reduced. The owner has even cut back operating hours.

From the Detroit Free Press:

Jon Jon's has lowered prices on drinks, but business is still down 50% from a year ago, Sander said. She now opens the club at 6 p.m. instead of 11 a.m.

"People can't afford to go out and have fun the way they used to," said Sander, whose club on Mound Road is roughly halfway between GM's Technical Center and the GM Powertrain and Chrysler pickup truck assembly plants. "Of course it has to do with the economy."

*Check out this 52-week stock chart for RICK, a strip club conglomerate:

Reporter Ruby Gonzales put together an interesting piece about Sanford Clark for today's papers.

Clark, the nephew of Gordon Stewart Northcott, was ultimately sentencedto five years at Nelles for his role in the case that led to the deaths of Walter Collins, Lewis and Nelson Winslow, and an unidentified latino youth.

Here's the top of Ruby's story:

Jerry Clark, 17, was on his way to a hockey game when his father, Sanford, pulled the car over and revealed a shocking past.

When he was 15, Sanford Clark became the main witness against his uncle, Gordon Stewart Northcott, who kidnapped boys from the Southland in the 1920s then molested and killed them at a chicken ranch in Wineville.

Not only did his uncle rape and beat him, Clark told authorities he was made to help dispose of the bodies and, at gunpoint, ordered to shoot one of the boys.

"Sanford said he never planned to tell Jerry the story," said Anthony Flacco , who is writing a book about Clark and was at the Whittier Museum last week doing research.

But he said Clark was worried reporters working on an unrelated killing near their town would unearth his past. His concern was that his children would hear about it from others. His fear didn't materialize.

A County employee who worked out of the Compton sheriff's Station has been shot and killed, apparently by a stray bullet meant for someone else. Here's the scoop from City News Service:

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles County sheriff's records clerk was fatally shot on a
South Los Angeles sidewalk, and police say she was an innocent bystander to a second, nearby deadly shooting, police said Sunday.
Adriana Pizarro, 34, was standing 150 yards away from some type of confrontation between an unknown shooter and a motorist when she was struck by a stray bullet. The motorist, Alexander Castro, 23, was shot as he drove down 50th Street, said Los Angeles police spokeswoman April Harding.
Castro's car careened down the street before it crashed, and he was found dead inside.
Pizarro was rushed to County USC Medical Center, but died an hour later, said Harding.
The fatal shootings occurred around 9:15 p.m. Saturday in the 1200 block of East 50th Street near Central Avenue, said Officer April Harding, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Police could not say yet what preceded the shootings, or if gangs were involved. The attacks occurred in a residential neighborhood near Central Avenue and 50th Street.
Detectives believe that Castro was the target of the shooter, but have not determined whether the incident was gang related.
Pizarro worked in the sheriff's Compton station.
No suspect information was immediately available and police asked anyone with information to call LAPD detectives at (323) 846-6556.

EL MONTE -- Three suspects were arrested on suspicion of burglary Saturday after leading police on a pursuit, authorities said.
The incident began about 7:15 p.m. when officers responded to a burglary alarm at a business in the 9400 block of Telstar Avenue, El Monte police Lt. Charles Carlson said.
As officers arrived, they saw three suspects running to a vehicle while dropping computer equipment on the floor, Carlson said.
The suspected burglars got into a nearby car and fled, starting a pursuit that led to the 10, 605 and 210 freeways, Carlson said, where the chase was turned over to the California Highway Patrol.
Just before 8 p.m., CHP officials sent word that all three suspects were in custody, and they were en route to the El Monte Police Station late Saturday for booking, the lieutenant said.
Their names were not available late Saturday, nor were details on exactly where and how the chase ended.

Sheriff's officials in Cerritos are seeking a man in connection with a brazen kidnapping and rape Wednesday. Here's the story from City News Service:

CERRITOS -- A woman was kidnapped and raped in Cerritos and sheriff's detectives are asking for the public's help today in identifying the suspect.
The attacker was described as Latino, between 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 215 pounds, with brown eyes and a shaved head.
He was reportedly driving a dark colored, 1980s to 1990s Chevrolet Astro or GMC Safari van, with a horizontal stripe covering the length of the vehicle, according to the sheriff's department  news release.
"Pedestrian are advised to use extreme caution if approached by a stranger matching the description of the suspect," according to the sheriff's department.
According to detectives, the 35-year-old victim was walking eastbound on Artesia Boulevard about 5:20 a.m. Wednesday, when a man parked his van adjacent to the sidewalk and offered her a ride, which she reportedly declined.
The suspect allegedly drove off, but moments later, as the woman crossed the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Dumont Avenue, he reappeared, driving alongside her. The suspect then stopped his vehicle, jumped out and allegedly forced the victim into his van, according to the sheriff's department.
The assailant then drove her to a remote area, where he raped her inside the van, according to the sheriff's department. After the rape, the suspect dropped his victim off at the intersection of Artesia and Studebaker Road.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the sheriff's Cerritos Station at (562) 860-0044.

PASADENA -- A man was hospitalized with serious injuries Saturday after plummeting 40-feet from a train station to the tracks below, officials said.
The incident occurred about 1 p.m. at the Memorial Park Gold Line Station, 125 E. Holly Avenue, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
After falling from the station onto the tracks, the injured 33-year-old man was able to crawl to the center median between the northbound and southbound train tracks, Derderian said.
The southbound tracks were briefly closed while firefighters rescued the man, she said.
The man appeared to have suffered a fractured arm and other injuries, Derderian said. His exact condition was not clear.
Sgt. Ronald Marquez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Transit Services Bureau said police continue to investigate what caused the man to fall.
Train and car traffic were not significantly impacted by the incident, he added.

LayDownMyLife.com, A Web site devoted to the memories of CHP officers who have died in the line of duty, has set up a page dedicated to Joe Sanders.

On Monday, Dec. 15, Sanders was struck and killed by a vehicle while directing traffic at the scene of a previous accident on Pomona Freeway in Hacienda Heights.

Coming this weekend in the Whittier Daily News and SGV Tribune, this from a budget note:

There's a reason why a true crime writer was poring through old newspapers and photos at the Whittier Museum recently. Anthony Flacco is writing a book about Sanford Clark, the nephew and main witness against Gordon Stewart Northcott who kidnapped, molested and killed boys in his Wineville chicken ranch in the '20s. Clark was sentenced to five years at the Whittier State School for Boys which then became the Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility. Clark later went back to Canada where he became a postal worker and adopted two boys.
One of the homicides occurred in La Puente. Two boys were kidnapped from Pomona as part of the crime also.

 

 

 

Who doesn't love a great picture of Los Angeles with snow capped mountains in the background?

From Jon Alcorn via LAO

 

 

This comes from the list of projects that will lose funding thanks to a 3-0 vote Wednesday by the state's Pooled Money Investment Board:

CDCR San Quentin: Condemned Inmate Complex ... In design, suspension would lead to

project delays.

Here's a summary of the renovation proposal from the Washington Post

You would think that in the weeks leading up to the Tournament of Roses parade that Pasadena PD would have a better handle on the streets of Old Pasadena. Apparently not.

Last year about this time there was a shooting after a drug deal went bad.

Last night a guy was reportedly stabbed by a panhandler.

So here's the Crime Scene question of the day ...

Is Old Pasadena safe?

 

This from a newspaper in Pennsylvania, below is a photo of little Adolph:

JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell, Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell and Adolf Hitler Campbell.

Good names for a trio of toddlers? Heath and Deborah Campbell think so. The Holland Township couple has picked those names and the oldest child, Adolf Hitler Campbell, turns 3 today.

This has given rise to a problem, because the ShopRite supermarket in Greenwich Township has refused to make a cake for young Adolf's birthday.

"We believe the request ... to inscribe a birthday wish to Adolf Hitler is inappropriate," said Karen Meleta, a ShopRite spokeswoman.

The Campbells turned down the market's offer to make a cake with enough room for them to write their own inscription and can't understand what all of the fuss is about.

The Campbells will be getting their cake from Wal-Mart this year, according to the family.

The Eureka Times-Standard is reporting that a Montebello police detective was brought to court in Eureka this week to testify at a preliminary hearing for a man accused of attempted murder following a dispute between the Mongols Motorcycle Club and the Hell's Angels.

Here's the story:

Researchers from the University of North Carolina have released a map showing the risk to humans of death from a natural disaster in the United States. The pair did a county by county study of deaths from earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, floods and hurricanes to compile their results.

Susan Cutter and Kevin Borden, from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, used nationwide data going back to 1970 to create their map. According to Cutter, "This work will enable research and emergency management practitioners to examine hazard deaths through a geographic lens.

 Using this as a tool to identify areas with higher than average hazard deaths can justify allocation of resources to these areas with the goal of reducing loss of life".
Hazard mortality is most prominent in the South, where most people were killed by various severe weather hazards and tornadoes. Other areas of elevated risk are the northern Great Plains Region where heat and drought were the biggest killers and in the mountain west with winter weather and flooding deaths

The 1981 abduction of Adam Walsh from a south Florida shopping mall, spurred his father John Walsh to create the America's Most Wanted television program for Fox.

The case was closed by detectives this morning who believe little Adam was killed by Ottis Toole, a Florida drifter who died in prison in 1996.

From the ABC News story:

... Police had built a strong circumstantial case against Toole, long suspected of the murder, adding if "Ottis Toole were alive today, he would be charged with Adam Walsh's murder."

The murder tranformed John Walsh's life, turning him from a middle-class hotel marketing executive into one of country's best known advocates for missing children.

Here's a portion of the statement from the Walsh family:

"It has been more than 27 years since our son Adam was abducted from a Hollywood, Fla. mall, then murdered. . . . Despite an ongoing, 27-year investigation, our son's murder case has remained open -- until now."

 

 

On Thanksgiving, I took my hometown to task for turning into an American Baghdad or Beiruit.

The idea came from the arrogance of the Big Three heads seeking bailout money from the U.S. Government while being completely tone deaf about taking corporate jets to their hearing.

While the possibility of a bailout remains up in the air, more bad news flowed out of Detroit this week. The town's two daily newspapers, the Free Press and the News announced they would scale back deliveries to three days a week.

Regardless of the bad news, for the most part Detroiters continue to defend their city against perceived attacks. And, it's true there's nothing worse than getting kicked when you are down.

Former LA Times reporter Anita Busch, who did an investigative piece on Hollywood agent Michael Ovitz, only to find her life threatened by PI Anthony Pellicano, testified at Pellicano's sentencing in federal court Monday.

Not only did Busch take on Pellicano, but she also fired shots at her former employer.

Here's a portion of the statement as reported on Patterico:

In the sentencing memorandum you talk about how your life is ruined. Yes, well, YOU made that choice. None of your victims had a choice. You could have helped put these sociopaths with money behind bars, but to this day, you show contempt for this court and the law.

You have yet to take responsibility for your actions.

It was revealed only two weeks ago that an FBI agent named Mark Rossini pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining documents that were then used by your lawyer.

So every day you prove that you ran a criminal conspiracy and a criminal enterprise.

Your co-conspirator Mr. Kachikian aided and abetted you so that my computer was hacked into and 18 years of my musical compositions - which I considered my life's work - were destroyed.

Courtesy Emma Gallegos:

There was an attempted kidnapping in Covina, but they're not saying much about it just yet. I talked to the PIO David Foster and he said it happened last night and it was around the downtown area, but that's about it -- he wouldn't say how old the victim was or whether it was a domestic dispute or a stranger or any further detail.

I put this online but it's incredibly vague:

Man wounded in officer-involved shooting in Pomona

POMONA - Detectives from the sheriff's homicide bureau are investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred early Tuesday morning in Pomona.

An officer from the Pomona Police department shot a man at the 700 block of East Holt Avenue at 2:15 a.m., according to Dep. Art Spencer.

The man shot was wounded and transported to a local hospital, according to Spencer.<p>

Pomona police officers were responding to a call at 1:45 a.m., but they did not release any further information about the circumstances of the shooting.<p>

No officers were injured in the shooting.

Here's some items we've been following Monday that haven't already been mentioned on this blog:

* DIAMOND BAR -- A man was flown to a trauma center in critical condition Monday after a rollover crash on the 57 Freeway.
* PICO RIVERA -- Two robbers used a handgun Monday to hold up a local bank branch.
* HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- A woman escaped with more than $3,000 Monday after robbing a Bank of America branch.
* COVINA - A woman was pushed to the ground and robbed of her purse in the parking lot of a supermarket Monday, authorities said.
* WEST COVINA -- Two robbers escaped with an unknown amount of cash after robbing a restaurant Monday, police said.
* POMONA -- A 46-year-old man who was killed in a Pomona apartment was identified Monday, and police asked for the public's help to find the man who shot him.

I don't know what to make of this story. There's a lot of questions that Montebello PD declined to answer.

The jist is that two groups of taggers got into two fights over the course of the afternoon.

Here's the story we posted early this a.m.:

MONTEBELLO - Rival tagging crews "beat each other up" Sunday afternoon, resulting in two people being sent to the hospital, said Montebello Police Lt. Govan Yee.

The first incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. at the 100 block of 18th Street. A man was attacked and beaten with an object by several members of a rival tagging crew.

Immediately after, the victim retaliated by attacking a rival tagging member, who was at his home on Wilcox Avenue.

Yee said it does not appear that either victim will press charges.

"Both of them were not very cooperative as to giving information," Yee said. "It's typical that gangs and tagging crews handle their own problems. Unfortunately, it results in more violence down the road."

Yee declined to give the names of the gangs, the names of the victims, or the victims ages

Despite his conviction in Las Vegas earlier this month, there's a lot of OJ Simpson memorabilia out there that's not likely to go anywhere anytime soon.

Among the places where Simpson is honored include the National Football Hall of Fame, the Professional Football Hall of Fame and on campus at USC. AP writer Ralph Russo rounds up the details:

NEW YORK - O.J. Simpson's portrait hangs in the Heisman Trophy exhibit at the new Sports Museum of America.

He's a member of the college and professional football halls of fame, his jersey number has been retired by the University of Southern California and he is featured on the Buffalo Bills' Wall of Fame.

Many of the honours bestowed Simpson for being one of the greatest running backs in history are likely to remain in place, even as he serves a prison sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping.

Simpson was convicted earlier this month in Las Vegas. That came 13 years after he was acquitted in the slaying of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Simpson was later found liable for their deaths in a civil trial.

Simpson's status as a Hall of Famer was unaffected by those legal issues.

Now that he is a convicted felon, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame plans to review his status and determine what to do with the Simpson memorabilia displayed at the museum in South Bend, Ind., NFF president Steve Hatchell recently said.

"We will review it, but there are no plans to take him out of the hall," Hatchell said. "It's a big wrestling match because he was put in for what he did as a football player at Southern Cal."

 

This is what we now know regarding the CHP officer killed early this morning near the 60 Freeway and Azusa Avenue.

RIP Joe Sanders, 29.

A CHP officer who was killed in an early morning traffic accident on the 60 Freeway was identified as Officer Joseph Sanders, 29, officials said Monday.

Sanders leaves a pregnant wife and three children ages 7, 3, and 10 months.

Sanders was a Marine Corp veteran who fought in Fallujah.

Flags will be flown at half-staff at the state Capitol in honor of Sanders, state officials said.

"These losses are tragig and we feel them deeply,' CHP Capt. Dan Minor said.

Minor said Sanders and his partner weere working the graveyard shift when they encountered a pickup truck that had spun out on the 60 Freeway near Azusa Avenue. While Sanders' partner was talking to the driver, a second traffic accident occurred. A car involved in that accident struck Sanders and killed him.

Officials said speeding may have resulted int he accident. All three drivers were being questioned. No charges have been filed.

Sanders grew up in Lodi, California and served a tour of duty in Iraq before joining the CHP.

"This is our 214 officer killed in the line of duty" CHP commissioner Joe Farrow said. "What is important is that he didnt' die in vain. It was out here doing what he was piad to do."

As if the original story wasn't bad enough, it appears there's more to the tale of the young woman and her baby who were kidnapped and robbed Saturday. (See Bonnie and Clyde blog entry below)

Police said today that not only did the robbers, a man and woman, estimated to be in their 60s, abduct the young woman and her child, drive them to the bank and force the mother to withdraw cash for them, but it appears they also held the child hostage until the woman retrieved jewlery from her home, officials said.

After obtaining the woman's money from the bank, the suspects drove the woman and child to their home, where the kept the child in the vehicle and ordered the woman to fetch valuables from her home, Pasadena police Lt. Chriss Russ said.

When she complied, both the woman and child were set free.

Police described the suspects' vehicle as a red SUV or Jeep.

A woman was kidnapped and robbed Saturday in Pasadena along with her toddler by a couple estimated to be in their 60s:

PASADENA -- A woman and her 2-year-old child were kidnapped briefly and robbed Saturday by a man and woman estimated to be in their 60s, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. as the 25-year-old woman and her child were walking in the 300 block of Allendale Road, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.
The older woman approached the victim and asked for money, Ibarra said.
When the victim said she had no money, the female robber took her by the arm and led her to a nearby waiting sport-utility vehicle being driven by the male robber, the lieutenant said.
The couple drove the woman and child to a local bank and demanded she withdraw money, Ibarra said.
After getting less than $1,000 from the woman, the robbers dropped her and her child off in the same neighborhood where they took them from, Ibarra said.
A weapon was not scene during the incident, she said.

The Associated Press reports two men have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a sheriff's deputy in Cypress Park on Aug. 2:

LOS ANGELES -- Two possible gang members were arrested in the fatal shooting of a
sheriff's deputy who was murdered as he was getting ready to go to work, officials announced
Saturday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Juan Escalante, 27, was shot dead outside his parents' home August 2 as he was getting ready to drive to his job at the Men's Central Jail.
Guillermo Hernandez, 20, and Carlos Velasquez, 24, of Los Angeles, were arrested Friday night, the Los Angeles Police Department announced. The suspects were booked and arrested for murder and were being held without bail.
Paul M. Weber, the president of police union the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said both men were gang members. A police spokesman would not confirm if the men had gang ties.
It was not immediately known if the men had been appointed attorneys.
Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton said Escalante was loading a car seat into the family's car when he was shot. He died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Escalante's Cypress Park neighborhood about three miles north of downtown is home to
several gangs.
Drive-by attacks where the victim and the shooter don't know each other are not unheard of, but investigators were considering the possibility that Escalante was deliberately targeted because of his work.

Apparently the state has suspended payments to a home for registered sex offenders in Hacienda Heights. As a result several Megan's Law registrants will be transient for at least tonight, officials said.

The home in the 14300 block of Ansford Street in Hacienda Heights is near a group home at 14523 Ansford Street officials said. Several of the registrants were recently placed in the home.

All are fitted with GPS tracking devices, officials said.

Here's our story so far:

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - A half-dozen convicted sex offenders may be sleeping on the streets as they are faced with the threat of eviction due to a bounced government check, an attorney said.

Attorney Mike Balmer, who represents one of the registrants living in the home, said a government-issued check bounced, causing the sex registrants living in the home in the 14000 block of Ansford Street to be evicted.

"There's nothing we can do about it," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Puchalski, of the Industry station. "As long as they don't commit a crime, we can't much help it if they are getting evicted."

California State Department of Corrections spokesman Gordon Hinkle said he could not immediately provide details of the situation, but said in general, "The state and corrections does not have a responsibility to provide housing for any parolee."

"It's something we do an a case by case basis," Hinkle said, "in the best interest of rehabilitation and public safety."

Balmer said the residents of the home were told to vacate by Friday evening.

Just a sort of FYI, looks like cartoons, wrestling, and pro football are enjoyed by more viewers than NCIS, a crime drama. Here's the latest Nielson ratings:

 1. NFL Football: Jacksonville vs. Houston (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), ESPN, 6.72 million homes, 8.89 million viewers.

2. Movie: "Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh" (Friday, 8 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 5.04 million homes, 8.09 million viewers.

3. Movie: "The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice" (Sunday, 8 p.m.), TNT, 3.71 million homes, 5.44 million viewers.

4. "Leverage" (Sunday, 10 p.m.), TNT, 3.51 million homes, 4.98 million viewers.

5. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.43 million homes, 5.07 million viewers.

6. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.39 million homes, 4.82 million viewers.

7. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Friday, 7:30 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.37 million homes, 4.93 million viewers.

8. Movie: "Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh" (Saturday, 11 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.36 million homes, 4.76 million viewers.

9. Movie: "An Accidental Christmas" (Saturday, 9 p.m.), Lifetime, 3.33 million homes, 4.05 million viewers.

10. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.27 million homes, 4.88 million viewers.

11. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Friday, 7 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.23 million homes, 4.47 million viewers.

12. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.04 million homes, 4.09 million viewers.

13. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 7 p.m.), USA, 2.94 million homes, 3.8 million viewers.

14. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 12:30 p.m.), 2.93 million homes, 4.06 million viewers.

15. "NCIS" (Thursday, 7 p.m.), USA, 2.89 million homes, 3.65 million viewers.

Captain Daniel Minor, commander of the CHP's Santa Fe Springs office and the assistant director of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control as well as friends and family of Ondrea Alverez will be on hand at a press conference tomorrow in Santa Fe Springs.

The fatal accident occurred in March in Rowland Heights.

Officials will announce the arrests of two individuals in the death of Ondrea, a 20-year-old Bellflower woman, as well as announce the closure of a restuarant where alcoholic beverages were served to minors, officials said.

Here's a previous post on the case.

Earlier this week Pomona Police Chief Joe Romero was fired by the City Council there. At least one local family is praising the move, primarily because of remarks Romero made following the murder of Eileen Ponce Orta.

You might remember this story:

POMONA (AP) ― The family of a missing woman found her body in a minivan after police summoned them to pick up the vehicle because it was illegally parked near the Pomona courthouse.

Police said today that Eileen Orta was found stabbed to death on Friday -- three days after her family filed a missing's person report.

The report gave a full description of Orta and the van, and was entered into a national law enforcement database.

When the van was found parked near the courthouse, police told Orta's family to pick it up before it was impounded.

No one apparently checked the vehicle, and it was Orta's mother who found her daughter buried under some blankets.

 

I received this letter from Tracy Ponce, Eileen's mother, this morning:

 

Earlier today I posted a link to a You Tube version of this video. It was removed, but the owner, shared the complete video later in the day. El Monte PD aparently is questioning two suspects in connection with the crime. As for the video, here it is:

Here's the story as written by Emma Gallegos this morning:

BALDWIN PARK - A man suspected of peering into a young girl's window and exposing himself to her was arrested this morning after police followed a trail of footprints, cigarette butts and other evidence leading to him.

Jason Francis Orefice, 31, was booked on suspicion of attempted burglary and indecent exposure following the 5:30 a.m. incident.

The girl reported that she woke up to see the silhouette of a man outside her bedroom window in the 14100 block of Olive Street . She told her dad, who went outside and found a man performing a sex act on himself near the window. He chased the suspect away and called police, Lt. David Reynoso said.

There were marks on the window showing that someone had attempted to break into the girl's room, Reynoso said. Police tracked the suspect's footprints, fresh cigarette butts and a pry bar that may have been used on the window to a residence one street north in the 14100 block of Masline Street, Reynoso said. They knocked on the door and found Orefice, police said. One witness positively identified Orefice, Reynoso said.

We received this note this a.m. with a link to the YouTube video above:

Hi,

For the safety of El Monte neighbors and other area surrounding, I
post a section of this video that I had captured during the invasion
on November 20, 2008 around 10: 35 am.
 
infor: on this day, two hispanic men broke into the home through the
garage door. They took away properties that valued more than
$10,000. They also tried to take the big TV but they gave up after 2
minutes trying unsuccessful. They are in large and considered
dangerous. 

*Police are reporting the discovery of a body on a Monrovia front lawn.

Police and detectives are on scene.

Cops are saying the death is a likely suicide. The victim has a gunshot to the head

The body is located outside a home near the intersection of Melrose and Hillcrest.

Here's a map of the location:

 

View Larger Map

Here's a link. Looks like there is an alleged pattern and practice of selling public office and public contracts in Illinois. Here's a sample or two from the actual indictment:

 

ROD BLAGOJEVICH could use his power to award State of Illinois contracts in order to generate campaign contributions.

ROD BLAGOJEVICH discussed his interest in running for President of the United States. During the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH informed Cari that it was easier for governors to solicit campaign contributions because governors had the ability to "award contracts" and give legal work, consulting work, and investment banking work to campaign contributors.

 

PUSD believes it got shortchanged by contractors doing work on their last big bond measure.

The district turned the results of its investigation over to Pasadena PD, which turned its investigation over to the DA's office, where the case was promptly rejected.

The official reason for the rejection was the tangle of convoluted paperwork associated with the claim. Nate McIntire and Caroline An got the same paperwork, and agree it's a barely dechiperable mess.

In any case, PUSD thinks it can get the DA's office to reopen the case. Here's a snippet of their story, which ran in the Star-News today:

PASADENA - School district officials called on the District Attorney's Office on Monday to reopen an investigation into potential fraud related to school improvement projects.

In an afternoon press conference, Superintendent Edwin Diaz released documents that show two contractors improperly billed the Pasadena Unified School District almost $300,000.

"We're hoping that at least one of these individuals will be charged," Diaz said and added he is urging the school board to begin civil action against the individuals.

District officials also released hundreds of pages of documents they claim support their allegations. The documents included invoices for work never performed and records of payments made to an unlicensed contractor working under the supervision of a district employee.

Officials also released transcripts of conversations with an unlicensed contractor in which the contractor confessed to paying kickbacks to the supervisor.

The documents were given to investigators in March.

In May, prosecutors declined to file any charges after citing poor record keeping and faulty project oversight by the district.

Sandy Gibbons, spokeswoman for Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, said Monday her office had not received Diaz's letter requesting it revisit the case.

 

 

Dec. 7, 1941.

It's a day West Covina resident Cal Plummer can't forget.

Plummer, 86, grew up in Pasadena. As an 18-year-old fresh out of Pasadena Junior College, he was aboard a destroyer on the Pacific Ocean between San Diego and Hawaii on that fateful day.

"I was very fortunate," he recalled. "As soon as they got hit, they sent us to look for two-man subs that might be headed to the California coast."

The United States had good reason to worry. The Japanese, as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt told the nation the next day, were on the move in the Pacific.

"Yesterday the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

"Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

"Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.

"Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

"Last night Japanese forces attacked Wake Island.

"And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island," Roosevelt concluded.

The Pacific fleet pretty much had been decimated. When the assault on Pearl HarborZZTO had ended, 2,400 were dead and 1,200 were wounded. A total of 18 ships and 300 planes were destroyed or damaged.

By the time Plummer's ship returned to Hawaii, he and his shipmates realized how thorough the destruction had been.

"It was a mess," he recalled. "There was four inches of tar and oil all over it. If you've been there since it's cleaned up now."

Shortly after the attacks, Plummer's brother, like so many other young men, went into the Army and was sent across the Atlantic Ocean to fight Nazis.

"He was drafted in," Plummer recalled. "He landed in Sicily and went all the way to Germany."

Cal's brother and so many other veterans of World War II no longer are here to remember their service.

"There's about 1,000 World War II veterans dying every day," Plummer said.

Michael Felix, commander of EL MonteZZSG's VFW post, said his unit has just "eight or nine" WWII vets left in the group.

During his service, Plummer never saw action. He transferred from the destroyer to the USS Aldebaran, a fast cargo ship based in San Francisco.

According to Wikipedia, Aldebaran visited Samoa, Tongatapu, New Caledonia and Espiritu Santo during the summer of 1942.

"Aldebaran loaded cargo at San Francisco and then embarked upon long, circuitous voyages," Wikipedia noted.

On one of those trips the ship picked up a downed Japanese airman and dropped him off at a brig on Guam before returning to duty.

Most of the rest of the war was spent traveling from port to port and back to San Francisco.

"I made 32 trips inside the Golden Gate. I didn't do anything, I'm lucky to be alive," Plummer said. "I just want people to remember days like Dec. 7 or 9/11 so that when we're all gone, people will be educated."

The governor of Illinois was arrested by the FBI this morning on a variety of political corruption charges including trying to sell the former senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama. He is also accused of threatening to withhold state assistance to the Tribune Company related to Wrigley Field and the Cubs because he didn't like editorial writers at the Chicago Tribune.

This story turned up in the Los Angeles Times and on the AP wire over the weekend apparently this guy has ties to the Hells Angels in Denmark.

LOS ANGELES - A Danish executive wanted in his home country in connection with an $85 million corporate-fraud scandal surrendered to police and was awaiting return to Denmark, authorities said.

Stein Bagger, chief executive of Copenhagen-based software company IT Factory, walked into a downtown Los Angeles police station Saturday and told officers he was an international fugitive.

 

Reporter Rebecca Kimitch took at look at El Monte's community policing program in a piece that ran this morning. 

EL MONTE - It's not a scene you might expect to see in a police station: an angry teen sits on a couch talking to a therapist in one room, in another, an off-duty officer packs food baskets for needy families, while across the hall a gang member talks to an officer about getting his tattoo removed.

But it is a scene you could find at the El Monte Police Community Services Station. And though not entirely conventional, police Chief Ken Weldon says the station's services have been key to reducing crime in El Monte.

The station's programs are so successful they serve as models across Southern California in a growing shift from criminal policing to community policing, according to Baldwin Park police Chief Lili Hadsell.

<snip>

Despite the asserted effectiveness of these programs, they may be the first on the chopping block as El Monte faces a $4 million budget shortfall and city agencies are facing major cuts, according to Weldon.

"Our first line of defense is radio calls - you have to have somebody on patrol and in the detectives bureau," Weldon said. "My hope is that we will have at least enough left to keep the town clean."

Officers were optimistic many of the programs will survive with grants or outside funding.

While many of the programs have value in themselves, they play a larger role in building trusting relationships between the public and the police.

"As you open doors for communication, you gain confidence and trust," Weldon said. "People are going to tell you things when they happen and that is how we solve crimes."

El Monte's community policing programs date back to the 1970s when the city struggled with eight gangs that had thousands of members.

 

Possibly prompted by the faltering economy, sheriff's officials collected a record number of guns this this year -- about 1,000 --  in the annual "Gifts for Guns" program in Compton.  While in past years, most participants asked for Best Buy gift certificated in exchange for their weapons, this year grocery gift cards are the most popular.  Participants received a $100 gift card for each working gun turned in, and a $200 card for every assault weapon.  Here's the story from the Associated Press:

COMPTON -- A program to exchange guns for gifts brought in a record number of
weapons this year as residents hit hard by the economy look under the bed and in closets to find items to trade for groceries.
The annual Gifts for Guns program ended Sunday in Compton, a working class city south of Los Angeles that has long struggled with gun and gang violence. In a program similar to
ones in New York and San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department allows residents to anonymously relinquish firearms in return for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores.
Turning in assault rifles yields double that amount.
In years past, Target and Best Buy were the cards of choice, with residents wanting presents for the holidays.
This year, most asked for the supermarket cards, said sheriff's Sgt. Byron Woods.
"People just don't have the money to buy the food these days," he said.
Deputies were counting the weapons collected and expected to gather about 1,000. Authorities said 590 guns and two hand grenades were handed in during the last weekend in November, more than the total collected in any year and eclipsing last year's 387 guns.

Two men were shot to death in two days over the weekend in Pomona. Police have arrested two suspects in connecton with one of the slayings, while the shooter in the other remains at large. Here's the stories:

Arrest made in fatal shooting
POMONA -- Police arrested a 16-year-old boy and a man Saturday on suspicion of fatal broad daylight shooting on a busy street, authorities said.
Albert Matthew Sandoval, 21, and an unidentified 16-year-old, both Pomona residents, were arrested about 10 p.m. and jailed in connection with the slaying of 24-year-old Miguel Martin of Pomona on Friday, Pomona police Sgt. Rick Baker said.
The suspects were spotted by detectives driving in a pickup truck in the city, Baker said, and they were arrested without incident.
Following the arrest, search warrants were carried out at three Pomona residences.
Martin was shot shortly before 5 p.m. near the Guadalajara Market, 1134 W. Mission Blvd., Pomona police Sgt. Matt Stone said.
A motive in the shooting was not available Sunday.
 

Man shot and killed in Pomona
POMONA -- A local man was pronounced dead in a car Saturday after a shooting, authorities said.
Michael Allen McKee, 30, was found about 9 p.m. in his 2006 PT Cruiser with at least one gunshot wound to his upper body, Pomona police Sgt. Rick Baker said.
The incident was initially reported to police as shots heard in the 2500 block of Virginia Avenue, Baker said.
A motive or suspect description was not known, he added.

Anyone with informationon either case is asked to call the Pomona police tip line at (909) 620-2085.

A B-2 stealth bomber paid a visit to the SGV and Pasadena areas Sunday.

I spotted the massive plane flying low directly above the newsroom shortly before 2 p.m.

Around the same time, residents in Arcadia and Monrovia reported they also saw the stealth warplane.

According to Edward's Air Force Base spokesman Mike Strickler, the B-2 was in the area to fly over the funeral for former Secretary of the Air Force Vern Orr, who passed away lat month at age 92 at his Pasadena home and was buried Sunday in Pasadena.

The plane was part of the 509th Bomb Wing out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

The Associated Press reports a man has been returned to Los Angeles from Las Vegas, where he allegedly fled after beating his friend to death with a hammer:

LOS ANGELES -- A man accused of fatally beating his friend with a hammer in Los Angeles has been charged with murder after he was arrested in Las Vegas.
Police say 19-year-old Adam Quintana was arraigned Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Quintana is accused of attacking 21-year-old Fernando Garcia, wrapping the body in blankets and leaving it in a trash bin Nov. 17.
Las Vegas police received a tip about Quintana's whereabouts, two days after police announced a $50,000 reward for information on the case. He was arrested last week and returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Quintana's bail was set at $1 million.

DUARTE -- A manager at the Old Spaghetti Factory was beaten, bound and robbed at gun point by two men early Friday morning, according to sheriffs officials.
The manager was treated for his injuries, which were not considered serious.
The suspects, dressed in dark pants and dark hooded sweat shirts with their faces concealed, confronted the manager about 1:40 a.m. with a shotgun and stole about $5,500 from the restaurant in the 1400 block of Buena Vista St, sheriffs officials said.
The manager was able to reach a cell phone and call for help, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Allan Smith said.
He was still bound when officials arrived, Smith said.
A further description of the suspects or their last seen direction was not known, he said.

This comes to us courtesy of City News Service:

POMONA -- A 27-year-old man convicted in the shooting deaths of two young men at a party in West Covina three years ago was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Pomona Superior Court Judge Tia Fisher denied the defense's request for a new trial for Alexander Joseph Alonzo Jr., who was found guilty Nov. 14 in the slayings of Adam Rodriguez, 20, and Roberto "Bobby" Ruiz Jr., 23.
They were shot to death on Nov. 20, 2005, following an argument between Rodriguez and one of Alonzo's friends at a party in West Covina, according to Deputy District Attorney Bjorn Dodd.
Ruiz and Alonzo had been involved in a verbal confrontation earlier at an area market, but one of Ruiz's friends later heard him inviting the group with Alonzo to the party, according to the prosecutor.
Jurors convicted Alonzo of two counts of first-degree murder and found true the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. The prosecution had opted before the trial not to seek the death penalty.
Jurors acquitted Alonzo of two counts of attempted murder involving two victims who were wounded.
Alonzo was arrested in August 2007 following an extensive investigation by the West Covina Police Department.

As City News Service reports below, a Diamond Bar man was one of two men suspected of using dead people's information to file false tax returns and collect refund checks:

DIAMOND BAR- Two Southland men, including one from Diamond Bar, were charged with multiple tax fraud counts for allegedly using dead people's identities and Social Security numbers to file fake income tax returns -- with claims totaling more than $2 million dollars, prosecutors announced today.
Ather Ali of Diamond Bar and Haroon Amin of Upland were indicted by a federal grand jury in Riverside Wednesday on 50 counts of making false claims against the United
States and other charges, according to IRS officials.
Between 2002 and 2003, Ali and Amin allegedly filed roughly 250 income tax returns showing refunds due to individuals federal investigators later determined to be deceased, the federal indictment alleges.
The IRS rejected a number of the false claims, which totaled more than $2 million, but some refund checks were distributed, according to IRS special agent Michael Moriarty.
He did not specify exactly how much the defendants allegedly swindled from the government.
The indictment indicates Ali and Amin, with unnamed co-conspirators, were able to prepare fictitious W-2 wage and tax statements using employer identification numbers that "Amin had obtained from an acquaintance who was a certified public accountant."
Federal investigators said the defendants gleaned Social Security numbers and names of dead people from the Internet, applied the information to income tax returns and filed for refunds.
The defendants allegedly arranged to have the refund checks that were distributed sent to locations controlled by Amin and Ali, who allegedly opened mailbox accounts at commercial outlets using false forms of identification, according to the government.
Most of the checks were deposited in bank accounts in Armenia and Pakistan, the government said.
Amin is charged with 22 counts of making false claims against the United States, conspiracy and making and subscribing a false tax return in his own name.
Ali faces 25 counts of making false claims against the United States, as well as making and
subscribing a false tax return in his name and conspiracy.
"Refunds are issued to taxpayers who are entitled to them," said Eileen Mayer, IRS chief of criminal investigations, in response to the indictment against the pair. "The IRS and Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue those who file false tax returns to claim refunds for which they are not entitled."
The defendants each face more than 100 years in prison and fines totaling $750,000 if convicted on all charges, according to the IRS.

As the associated press reports below, O.J. Simpson has been sentenced to at least 15 years in prison. Here's a link to the full story. 

 

Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass sentenced Simpson after saying he was arrogant and ignorant. She said the evidence against him was overwhelming.

Earlier, 61-year-old Simpson apologized and told the judge he was sorry about trying to retrieve memorabilia that he said belonged to him. He appeared ready to break down in tears during a rambling, 5-minute declaration.

"I didn't want to steal anything from anyone ... I'm sorry, sorry," he said.

Prosecutor David Roger said Simpson was the ring leader in the botched attempt to recover the items from two collectibles peddlers.

Judge Glass also ruled that Simpson cannot be freed on bail pending possible appeal.

WHittier PD, the DEA and the Orange County regional narcotics supression team served federal search warrants at three southland locations as part of an ongoing effort to bring down a viscous group of drug traffickers, officials said Thursday.

The group, known as the Jorge Cuveas-Mares DTO, was targeted by the Whittier PD, but hte investigation quickly became national in scope, a Whittier PD official said.

Warrants were also served in LA, San Francisco, Detroit, Indianapolis, Philly and Dodge City, Kansas.

The investigation ultimately resulted in the seizure of 300 kilos of coke, 160 pounds of meth and $3 million in cash.

Arrested were Jennifer and Nicolas Sendis of Whittier. They are in federal custody. 

Last night I blogged about Arcadia police responding to a shots fired call. Turns out the call may have come from an angry john, who got ripped off in a house of ill repute. Here's what cops are saying now:

ARCADIA -- A man and woman were charged with operating a house of prostitution in Arcadia Wednesday night, authorities said.
Gracie Gao, 57, of Arcadia and a man, whose name has not been released, were both arrested and charged with operating a house of prostitution -- a misdemeanor, according to Arcadia police Lt. Paul Foley.
They were both released Thursday morning on $500 bail, Foley said.
Units from both the Monrovia and Arcadia police departments responded to an initial report at 8:09 p.m. Wednesday night that there was a robbery in progress and shots had been fired at the 200 block of Palm Avenue in Arcadia, Foley said.

This incident is apparently unfolding in Arcadia, according to the folks at CA Breaking News:

*Robbery* 263 W Palm, Arcadia; Caller stating inside their residence 4 male

Hispanics robbing residence, PD out with 2 at gun point to front of

residence, 1 Caller is inside closet stating he heard 1 shot fired by
suspects and his friend screaming, Multiple units from Arcadia and Monrovia PD onscene, Possibly 2 more suspects inside residence; 507.0625@2022 CABN01

This story got many of us thinking of Norman Bates in Hitchcock's thriller "Psycho"

From KNBC via the Los Angeles Daily News:

Authorities say the mummified body of an elderly woman -- possibly dead for a year -- was found in a trash-filled North Hollywood home where she had been living with her son.

Officers were sent to the residence in the 6700 block of Vantage Avenue on Monday evening, a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations office said.

The Daily News quoted neighbors as saying that 48-year-old Robert Hunt lived in the home with his mother, Barbara, who is listed as the owner and who would be 86 if alive.

From LA Observed:

Esteban Armando Nuñez, the 19-year-old son of the former Assembly Speaker, was arrested Tuesday in connection with the stabbing death of a 22-year-old college student at a party in San Diego in October. Nuñez and three other suspects, all 19, face a murder charge and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Full story in the San Jose Mercury News,  here.

Assault with a deadly pie.

This guy in South Florida apparently didn't like the food:

INDIANTOWN - Martin County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested a man who threw hot sweet potato pie in his girlfriend's face on Thanksgiving because he didn't like the food, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

On Thanksgiving, Christopher Ford, 46, went to his home on the 8400 block of Southeast Fern Street. When he got home he asked for something to eat, according to the report.

But Ford was upset with the meal his girlfriend fixed for him and they got into an argument in the kitchen. While arguing, Ford picked up the sweet potato pie his girlfriend had recently removed from the oven and slammed it into her face, according to the report.

Ford ran outside the rear door of the residence when the woman's three teenagers went into the kitchen to see what the ruckus was and saw their mom with pie on her face, according to the report.

 

From LA Observed, via a local radio station.

Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley was sworn in for a third term yesterday. Frank Stoltze says Cooley's the first D.A. in 70 years to win a third term in L.A. County.

Here's a photo gallery of DAs past.

Here's the bio of LA County's last three-term DA, Burton Fitts.

Cop shoots dog in Whittier.

Clark Rockefeller back in the news (twice over Thanksgiving weekend).

Woman shot in El Monte.

Deputy back on duty after gun incident.

Back on Oct. 23, we asked Crime Scene readers if The Foothill Cities Blog would ever return to cyberspace.

After a lengthy absence due to computer problems, they're back -- with a slightly new look.

Here's the poll results:

Answer
	Yes		51.85%
	No		48.15%

The National Archives and the Nixon Library Tuesday will make another 198 hours of tape recordings available from inside the Nixon White House.

The recordings were made in 1972 and cover a variety of topics, including the 1972 congressional elections.

Here's a snipet of a Nixon Library press release issued Tuesday morning:

Approximately 198 hours of tape recordings from the Nixon White House recorded between November and December 1972 and consisting of approximately 1,398 conversations. The conversations cover topics such as the 1972 Presidential and Congressional elections, reorganization of the executive branch, creation of a "New Majority" for a reinvigorated Republican Party or new conservative third party, the late stages of the peace negotiations to end the Vietnam War, and the decision to bomb the Hanoi and Haiphong areas in North Vietnam. All 198 hours of tape recordings will be made available on the web at www.nixonlibrary.gov. They will also be available at both the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA and at the National Archives College Park, MD facility.

The man who calls himself Clark Rockefeller and is at the center of a San Marino missing persons' mystery will have seized gold coins and cash returned to him to help pay for his defense in his parental kidnapping case, as the Associated Press reports below:

BOSTON -- The man who calls himself Clark Rockefeller will get back about half of the
gold coins and cash seized by authorities after he was arrested for allegedly kidnapping his 7-year-old daughter.
Prosecutors agreed Monday to turn over 160 gold coins -- worth about $140,000 -- and $6,480 in cash so he can pay for his defense. Prosecutors and the man's attorneys said the money came from a divorce settlement with his ex-wife.
He has pleaded not guilty to parental kidnapping.
Authorities say Rockefeller is actually German citizen Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, who has
been labeled a "person of interest" in the 1985 disappearance of a San Marino couple.
"Clark Rockefeller" was charged with kidnapping his daughter, Reigh, during a supervised visit in Boston in July. He was arrested in early August in Baltimore, where Reigh was found unharmed. The girl was returned to his ex-wife, Sandra Boss, who lives in London.
During the hearing in Suffolk Superior Court on Monday, Assistant District Attorney David Deakin said prosecutors agreed to return half of the seized cash and coins because there was no evidence Gerhartsreiter obtained it illegally and he "has a right to pay for his defense."
The agreement allows Gerhartsreiter's defense to seek the return of the rest of the money at a later date.
In all, authorities had seized 321 gold coins and nearly $13,000 in cash when Gerhartsreiter was arrested in Baltimore. Deakin said that prosecutors consider the money to be evidence of
pre-meditation in the kidnapping and plan to mention it at Gerhartsreiter's trial.
Defense lawyer Tim Bradl said the Monday agreement also allows the defense to get the keys to his client's Baltimore condominium. Bradl said his client wants his attorneys to retrieve dolls in the condo and return them to his daughter.
The FBI said in August that it had matched fingerprints from Gerhartsreiter's immigration papers from the early 1980s to those taken from a wine glass he touched in July. He has insisted in interviews that his name is Clark Rockefeller and that he does not remember large chunks of his past.