May 2009 Archives

GLENDORA -- A police officer responding to reports of a vicious Pit Bull Sunday ended up being bit by the animal, officials said.
The incident occurred about 6:15 p.m. in the 700 block of Hunters Trail, Glendora police Lt. Brian Summers said.
The officer suffered puncture wounds to his leg but is expected to be fine, he said.
Residents called police to report a loose Pit Bull had children trapped inside a car, and when the officer arrived, the dog was running down the street, the lieutenant said.
The dog ran ran back to it's own yard, and when the officer tried to close the gate to contain it, he was bit, Summers said.
The dog's owner was cited for violating the leash law and having an unlicensed dog, he said. The Pit Bull was taken by animal control officials.

VALINDA -- Officials released little information Sunday about the circumstances surrounding the shooting of a teenaged boy who was not expected to survive.
Conflicting reports have surfaced as to whether the unidentified teenager was playing a game of Russian roulette when he was shot.
Authorities have not been able to confirm that, and said Sunday they believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.
The shooting was reported about 4:30 p.m. Friday in the 15700 block of Fairgrove Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Bill Brauberger said.
Sheriff's Sgt. Russell Boucher said officials were not seeking any suspects.
Neighbor Gabriela Mendiola, 34, said the wounded boy was 17. She said he was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot at a party late last year.
"He seemed like a really nice kid," Mendiola said.
The teenager was listed as "death imminent" at a local hospital following the shooting, Brauberger said. Authorities could not provide an update on his condition Sunday.

BALDWIN PARK -- An 18-year-old was shot in the stomach Sunday in one of two unrelated shootings in the same area and time frame, authorities said.
The shootings were reported just before 3 p.m. in the 14500 block of East Chevalier Avenue, and minutes later less than a mile away at Maine and Merced avenues, Baldwin Park police Sgt. Darryl Kosaka said.
Despite the close proximity of the shootings, "There is no indication they are related," Kosaka said.
A Chevalier Avenue resident who asked his name not be published for fear of retaliation said he heard and saw part of the attack.
"I thought it was fireworks, but then I heard the shells dropping," he said.
Both the resident and police said the shooter was a teenager or young man who opened fire several times on an occupied van as he passed by on a bicycle.
The woman was inside the van, which was stopped along the side of the road, along with an unknown number of others, Kosaka said. No one else in the van was injured.
The shooter ditched his bicycle and fled on foot through neighboring yards, police and witnesses said.
Another young man came by just after the attack and picked up the bicycle, the witness said.
The van sped away following the shooting, and the wounded woman showed up at a local hospital, where she was listed in stable condition, authorities and neighbors said.
A nearby resident found a discarded handgun and turned it over to police, Kosaka said.
A short time after the shooting, neighbors said a young man wearing a blue baseball cap was seen searching the area where the gun was found, possibly looking for the weapon.
Kosaka said police searched for the man but he was not found.
A further description of the gunman was not available.
The shooting may have been gang related, Kosaka said.
The shooting took place only a block away from the Baldwin Park police station, which is visible from the shooting scene.
Another neighborhood resident, who also asked his name be withheld, said the shooting in the normally quiet neighborhood left him concerned.
"You got to be alert," he said. "You never know when they're going to want to come back and retaliate because someone said something."
Minutes after the Chevalier Avenue shooting, shots were reported near Merced and Maine avenues, Kosaka said.
While no one reported witnessing the shooting, a nearby home was struck by a bullet, he said.
A car with bullet holes was found driving in the area, but the driver did not cooperate with police and claimed he had no idea that his car had been shot.
Anyone with information on either shooting is asked to call Baldwin Park police.

SAN DIMAS -- The sheriff's bomb squad was sent to Via Verde Park Sunday to investigate a suspicious device, which was later determined to be an ordinary cell phone, authorities said.
The suspicious device -- a cell phone with wires sticking out -- was first reported by a passerby about 1:10 p.m. at the park, at the corner of Via Verde and Puente Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Alex Vargas said.
A sheriff's Arson-Explosives robot was used to get a close look at the device, and it was found to be an ordinary cell phone with an external battery attached to it, sheriff's Arson-Explosives Detective Jim Gonzales said.
Officials picked up the phone and declared the situation safe about 3:45 p.m., Vargas said.

PASADENA -- A local man waited until his girlfriend fell asleep before attacking her with a kitchen knife late Saturday, police said.
Renson Trochez, 36, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Pasadena police Lt. Randell Taylor.
His girlfriend, whom he lived with, was hospitalized with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, the lieutenant said.
The incident occurred about 9:20 p.m. at a home in the 800 block of North Garfield Avenue, he said, after the couple had been involved in an argument.
"She went to sleep, and he stabbed her in the neck twice," Taylor said.
Though the wounded woman was expected to survive, "she lost a lot of blood," Taylor said.
Trochez initially fled the scene, he added, but was arrested several hours later at a relatives house.
According to court records, Trochez is being held in lieu of $30,000 bail. The date of his initial court appearance was not available Sunday.

This comes from reporter Robert Hong:

PASADENA - A man was found dead inside a suspected residential care home after it caught fire Friday, authorities said.
The blaze was reported shortly after 5:30 p.m. in the 600 block of Del Monte Street, Pasadena police Lt. Tom Delgado said.
The house was well-involved with flames when firefighters arrived, and smoke could be seen from several blocks away, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
The body of a man was found inside the home, she said.
The deceased was identified as 80-year-old Azariah Stoney, according to relatives and residents of the care home. Several of the residents said Stoney enjoyed smoking cigars.
Frederick Wallace, who identified himself as a relative, said Stoney was a Jamaican immigrant and a professional painter.
"He is from the old-school," Wallace said. "He went to work every day at 8:10. At 80 years old, he went to work every morning even if he didn't have work to do."
Brother Jaysee, a community activist who lives nearby, said he knew Stoney from being in the neighborhood.
"He was a good man - a hard-working man - who was doing the best he can," Jaysee said. "It is unfortunate."
Henry Butler, a resident of the home, said he saw smoke coming from Stoney's room when the fire broke out.
Butler said he grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran inside, but there was too much smoke.
"I couldn't see anything," he said.
The fire was put out in 20 minutes, according to Derderian. Damages to the home were estimated to be about $300,000, she said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
A 61-year-old man was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but did not wish to be hospitalized, Derderian said.
About 17 men lived in the residential care home and were displaced by the fire.
The Red Cross was sent to help find them a place to stay, Derderian said.

GLENDORA -- Three to four men wearing ski masks and hooded sweat shirts carried out a takeover robbery at a local bank Friday, authorities said.
The robbery occurred about 5:40 p.m. at a Chase bank branch at 1905 E. Route 66, Glendora police Lt. Brian Summers said.
After ordering about 20 customers and employees to the ground, the robbers took money from each teller, the lieutenant said.
No weapons was scene, though the men motioned as if they had weapons hidden under their clothes, he added.
A getaway car was found abandoned nearby at Glenkirk Presbyterian Church, 1700 Palopinto Ave., Summers said. It was determined to be a stolen car.
The FBI is assisting Glendora police in the investigation.

PASADENA -- A 34-year-old Monrovia who used the Internet to lure and molest teenage girls pleaded guilty Thursday to 20 counts of child molestation.
Gregory Serrano, 34, of Monrovia is due back in Pasadena Superior Court on July 6, when he is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison, officials said.
Serrano now awaits trial on 23 federal charges including production, possession and receipt of child pornography, using the Internet to entice minors to produce child pornography and meet for sex and destruction of evidence.
"Upon initiating communication via the Internet, Serrano would phone and text message his victims and, ultimately, set up sexual encounters at his residence," Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Shiara Dávila-Morales said in a written statement.
The charges Serrano pled guilty to Thursday stemmed from crimes against three girls between 14 and 17 years old, Dávila-Morales said. He told the victims he was between 16 and 19 years old.
Serrano pleaded guilty to all counts as charged, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
He was jailed on March 12 of last year at his home after a 15-year-old girl told her parents Serrano had molested her, officials said.
United States Attorney Joey Blanch, who is prosecuting the federal case against Serrano, said he used social networking Web sites such as MySpace.com and Netlog.com to meet the underage girls.
Federally, Serrano is accused of crimes involving 10 underage girls throughout the state and even out-of-state that date back to 2006, she added.
Blanch said because officials have found evidence of interactions with apparently underage girls who have not been identified on Serrano's computer, there may be more victims who have not come forward.
In addition to the sex crimes, the federal indictment also alleges that Serrano tried to have family members get rid of incriminating evidence for him.
Following his arrest, Serrano allegedly asked family members to retrieve and hide a CD hidden inside an inline skate in his basement, according to U.S. Department of Justice officials. FBI agents got hold of the CD and determined it contained
Though Serrano was indicted in May of last year, the federal proceedings are yet to begin, U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Thom Mrozek said.
"He is yet to make a court appearance in our federal case," he said. "We'll proceed with our case following the conclusion of the state case."
A production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, Blanch said.
If convicted on all federal charges, she said, Serrano could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

From the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office:

PASADENA - A 34-year-old Monrovia man accused of using the Internet to lure teen girls for sex pleaded today, the District Attorney's Office announced.

Deputy District Attorney Ilean Richard of the Pasadena Branch Office said Gregory Scott Serrano pleaded guilty to 20 counts before Judge Janice Croft. The charges involve three female victims ranging in age from 14 to 17.

Serrano pleaded to five counts of sodomy of a person under 16, four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, three counts of contact with a minor for sexual offense, three counts of oral copulation of a person under 16, two counts of oral copulation of a person under 18 and one count each of sodomy of a person under 18, meeting a minor for lewd purposes and lewd act upon a child.

The defendant is due to be sentenced on July 6 in Department H of Pasadena Superior Court. Serrano, who has a pending federal case involving child porn and other charges, is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Upon initiating communication via the Internet, Serrano would phone and text message his victims and, ultimately, set up sexual encounters at his residence. The defendant told the girls he was between 16 and 19 years old.

ROSEMEAD -- Authorities released the name Thursday of a man who died after being found on the floor of a bathroom at a local psychiatric hospital.
Kenneth Monroe, 38, of Murrieta died Wednesday morning after he was taken to Garfield Medical Center in Monterey Park after he was found on the floor of a bathroom at Ingleside Hospital in Rosemead, 7500 Hellman Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
He had recently been transferred to the Rosemead facility from another in Riverside County, Winter said.
A cause of death was not determined Thursday, he said, and an autopsy had not yet been scheduled.
Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau are investigating the death, though Lt. Gil Carrillo said the investigation is on hold pending the results of the autopsy.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- Three men used a handgun to rob a smoke shop of cigarettes and cash Wednesday, authorities said.
The robbery occurred about 7:30 p.m. at the Colima Smoke Shop, 19705 Colima Road, Suite 7.
About $1,500 worth of cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken in the crime, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mike Browne said.
Two robbers entered the store while a third acted as a getaway driver, he said. One of the robbers was armed with a chrome-colored revolver.
One of the robbers was described a black man standing about 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, wearing a long-sleeve dark-colored shirt and dark-colored pants, Browne said.
Another robber was a Latino man standing about 6 feet tall and wore a long-sleeve green shirt and dark-colored pants, he said.
No description of the driver was released.
The robbers were last seen driving west on Colima Road in a black SUV, Browne said.
No injuries were reported.

PASADENA -- A woman with a baby interrupted a burglary at her home Wednesday and was pushed and had her hair pulled one of the fleeing burglars, police said.
The incident occurred about 5:40 p.m. at an apartment in the 100 block of South Madison Avenue.
The woman was walking home with her baby in a stroller when she saw to burglars on the balcony of her apartment, Pasadena police Lt. Randell Taylor said.
The woman yelled out, and the men ran from the apartment toward the woman, the lieutenant said.
One of the burglars pushed the woman and pulled her hair, while the other dropped and damaged a computer they had taken from the home, Taylor said.
The woman was not injured, and the burglars are believed to have left empty-handed, he said.
Taylor added that the burglary appeared random, and the thieves likely took advantage of an unlocked door or window to enter the home.
The burglars were described as Latino men in their mid-20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, of medium build, with short hair and clean shaven faces, Taylor said.

Homicide detectives were sent to a local hospital Wednesday to investigate a man's death by unknown causes, authorities said.
The 38-year-old man's name was not released pending notification of his family members, sheriff's and coroner's officials said.
He died just after 9 a.m. at Garfield Medical Center in Monterey Park, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Larry Dietz said.
The man was taken to Garfield Medical Center from Ingleside Hospital in Rosemead, 7500 E. Hellman Ave., according to sheriff's officials.
The dead man was reportedly from Murrieta and a psychiatric patient being treated at the Rosemead facility, according to wire services. He was hospitalized in Monterey Park after suffering facial trauma.
Coroner's and sheriff's officials could not confirm those details late Wednesday.
The investigation now hinges on the results of an autopsy to be performed by the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner over the next few days, Lt. Gil Carillo of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.

EL MONTE -- Officials arrested a South El Monte woman with a history of child abuse Wednesday after she went missing for 12 days with her two young daughters.
Alma Beatriz Frias, 29, was booked on suspicion of child abuse and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the sheriff's Temple Station, Sgt. Dan Scott of the sheriff's Special Victims Unit said.
During interviews after her arrest Wednesday, "(Frias) admitted kicking the 2-year-old and tossing the 2-month old in her crib," Scott said.
"I think it would shock anybody," he added.
The children were taken into protective custody and turned over to the County Department of Children and Family Services, Scott said.
"The children appeared to be in good health," he added.
DCFS officials will determine where to place the children, whether it be with other family members or in the foster system, the sergeant said.
"It's a relief that the children were found and they were unharmed," Scott said.
Frias, a mother of at least seven children, had not been seen since May 15 when she ran from her home during a visit from social workers, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Byron Ward said in a written statement. At the time, she was being investigated for an abuse allegation, authorities said.
When workers went inside the home, they couldn't find the children, so they presumed to be with their mother, officials said.
The sheriff's Special Victims Unit was asked to join the investigation Friday, according to a Sheriff's Department statement.
The investigation led to a house in El Monte. Deputies didn't find Frias, however information gleaned from that visit led officials to a second El Monte home where Frias and the 2-month-old girl were found, Scott said.
Frias then told detectives her older daughter was at her grandmother's home in Baldwin Park, Scott said, and officials picked her up.
Investigators likely will not pursue any charges against the grandmother, he added.
Frias' had five other children taken away and served two years in state prison following a 2003 conviction of child abuse causing great bodily injury, according to Scott and court records. Further details of the 2003 incident were not available Wednesday.
According to court records, Frias is due Friday for arraignment in El Monte Superior Court on Friday.

PHOTO of Alma Frias courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

*EL MONTE -- Police jailed a suspected local gang member Wednesday in connection with a severe beating in front of an El Monte liquor store that was caught on surveillance tape, officials said.
Juan Villegas, 23, of El Monte was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and gang enhancements shortly after 4 p.m., El Monte police Detective Ralph Batres said.
"Detectives spotted him walking in the area of Durfee and Rush in South El Monte," the detective said. Villegas, who is believed to be a member of a local street gang, was was taken into custody without further incident.
The arrest stems from an apparently unprovoked attack on May 21 in which a 27-year-old El Monte man was badly beaten in front of Little Five Points Liquor, 2602 Mountain View Road, El Monte Monte police Sgt. David Vautrin said in a written statement.
The 27-year-old had his jaw broken in four places and lost several teeth in the alleged broad daylight attack, officials said.
He was recovering Wednesday with his jaw wired shut, Batres said.
A motive in the beating remained unknown Wednesday, he said.
"It appears to be an unprovoked attack, however we have two detectives still investigating it," Batres said.
"More arrests are expected," he added.
Investigators made use of surveillance tape from the nearby store to help identify Villegas as a suspect prior to his arrest, Batres added.
According to court records, Villegas is being held in lieu of $30,000. The date of his initial court appearance was not available Wednesday.

PHOTO of Juan Villegas courtesy of the El Monte Police Department.

I'll be updating throughout the day to this entry from Twitter.

Beth Karas, of InSession, formerly Court TV will be using Twitter to cover the Rockefeller case from Boston. Here's the link.

From a courthouse BlackBerry: Ten jurors in ROCKEFELLER have been seated with another six to go. At this pace, we may see opening statements and testimony as early as tomorrow

Memorial Day got me to thinking about my grandfather Roy Hebert.

He dropped out of school in the eighth grade and earned a living as a journeyman glassblower in Ontario, Canada. Perhaps seeking adventure, as a 17-year-old he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army.

A few months later he was on the front lines in Belgium, fighting in Passchendaele, where the Allies ultimately took 300,000 casualties.

My grandpa was among the wounded. He spent more than a year in a British hospital.

While there, he wrote this six-page letter to my grandmother on stationery emblazoned with the Canadian flag. To me it's a reminder of why it's so important to honor our troops for the sacrifices they make:

April 3/18

Dear Friend,

...

Well Myrtle you asked me if I could tell you about my experience so I'll try to tell you a little of it. You know if I were to tell all, I'd be writing for a month or so.

I'll tell you about the Passchendaele scrap in Nov. 1917. Just before we went up to Ypres which was our horse lines we had a few week preparation in a place called bastric. We got to our horse lines about four p.m. and at 7 p.m. half of our boys had to go up to the front line (two) of them being (brothers) and they just got a few hundred yards when (one) got both of his legs blown off and and the other wounds about the body which I witnessed on the morrow when I went up top to bring them their rations. On the third day we, the other half, went up to the front line and took our positions on the left side of the village at the back of it as we had not captured the village as yet.

At 6 a.m. the next morning the barrage was to start so we fixed a few shell holes in a hurry. We pulled a few dead Fritzies in the holes to keep dry. Then got the machine guns ready. At 6:30 a.m on Nov. 6, the day of the battle, he put up a barrage on us and I'll bet in a half hour of time there wasn't a square yard of ground that wasn't freshly turned over by shells.

At 6 a.m. we put up our barrage and the infantry went over the top and captured the village. After they captured it they were relieved but we had to stay and hold the line for nine days after which is the worst part of the battle. We were shelled continuously besides aeroplanes firing at us with machine guns and dropping bombs on us. But the good Man was with us for there was five duds, 9.6s, which came in our emplacement one right after the other. All I got in all that time was a slight wound on the right hip and a scratch on the back of the left hand when a big piece of shrapnel to the protector glanced off my wrist watch, beside being buried by a shell one night.

Then for a rest we came out of the line on the 10th day and pulled ourselves along in the mud from Passchendaele to Ypres, which is about six miles. We had a few hours sleep then the next morning we started on a five day march from Ypres to Mericourt.

Just before we started, while we were waiting ,Jerry dropped a bomb out of a plane into a shell hole with about five dead mules in it and half full of green water which was about 20 feet from where I was standing. It buried and covered me in rotten mule flesh and water also mud. But the mules were all that saved me and many others ...

As tea is on the way, I'll close hoping to hear from you soon and often. I am as ever. Yours truly,

Roy.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich plans to offer a $20,000 reward in the 2007 slaying of Jason Wei, owner of an Arcadia Sushi restaurant, who was slain execution-style by an armed gunmen.

Here's some of Antonovich's press release:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY--Supervisor Antonovich will hold a joint press conference with detectives from the City of Arcadia Police Department, offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the death of Mr. Jason Wei, owner of the Osaka Ya Sushi Restaurant .

On November 25, 2007, at approximately 9:24 p.m., Mr. Jason Wei (Way), owner of the Osaka Ya Sushi Restaurant, located at 815 W. Naomi Ave in Arcadia, was shot and killed by an armed robber who entered through the rear door of the restaurant.

The incident was captured on surveillance video; however, none of the leads has produced a suspect.

Obama picks a Supreme.

California Supreme Court takes a stand on Prop. 8

Jury selection begins in Clark Rockefeller case, who is he?

 

First it was Gordo.

Now it's Bubba.... Hmmm anyone wonder if there's a ring working Baldwin Park specializing in parrots?

Here's the Bubba news from KABC 7:

BALDWIN PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- A Baldwin Park woman hopes someone can help get her pet parrot Bubba back home.

Barbara Thompson said someone busted into her aviary over the weekend and stole her African Gray parrot, a bird she has had for 17 years.

SAN GABRIEL -- A person was stabbed in the arm in a commercial area Monday, police said.
The incident occurred about 7:15 p.m. in the 100 block of West Valley Boulevard, San Gabriel Police Sgt. Rene Hernandez said.
The victim was described as an male Asian teenager or young man.
He was stabbed in the arm by two attackers described only as male Asians, Hernandez said.
Fire officials said the injuries appeared to be minor.
A motive in the stabbing was not immediately clear.

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- Fire officials flew a hiker out of the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa Monday after he became injured in a fall.
The rescue occurred just before 5 p.m. near San Gabriel Canyon and West Fork roads, Los Angeles County Fire Department Supervising Dispatcher Melanie Flores said.
The man, who was estimated to be in his 30s, did not appear to suffer life-threatening injuries but was flown to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena as a precaution, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Tim Bloom said.
The man reported falling four to six feet, while his family members told officials he fell from about 45 feet.
His exact condition was not available.

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, aka Clark Rockefeller, stands trial Tuesday morning in Boston on charges stemming from the abduction of his daughter Reigh "Snooks" Boss last summer.

PASADENA -- Two firefighters suffered minor injuries Monday battling a blaze that caused about $200,000 in damage to a large house, authorities said.
The fire was first reported about 1:20 p.m. at a two-story home at 3235 Lombardy Road, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
Both firefighters were injured by falling debris, she said.
One was hospitalized for treatment, and the other was treated at the scene, Derderian said.
Firefighters extinguished the fire shortly before 2 p.m., she said, and tried to salvage items from the home, including a large collection of books.
"The house had major water damage," Derderian said.
The Red Cross was summoned to help find lodgings for the three displaced adults, she added. Two of the residence were home when the fire started.
The blaze started on the second floor of the house, Derderian said.
"It spread throughout the attic really quick," she added.
Derderian said the fire was initially believed to have been sparked by a resident doing some sort of home repair, however further details were not available Sunday.
About 25 firefighters responded to the fire, she said.

Officials reported 609 were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Los Angeles County in the first three days of the Memorial Day weekend.
The arrests were made between 12:01 a.m. Friday and midnight Sunday as part of the county-wide "Avoid the 100" task force, officials said in a written statement.
Through extra patrols and DUI checkpoints, 100 county law enforcement agencies that make up the "Avoid the 100" task force target intoxicated drivers.
In the first 72 hours of Memorial Day Weekend last year, 560 driving under the influence arrests were made, officials said.
Officials encourage motorists to call 9-1-1 to report impaired drivers.
Funding for this program is being provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

More than 420 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Los Angeles County in the first 48 hours of the Memorial Day weekend, authorities said.
The arrests were made between 12:01 a.m. Friday and midnight Saturday as part of the county-wide "Avoid the 100" campaign, officials said in a written statement.
Through extra patrols and DUI checkpoints, 100 county law enforcement agencies that make up the "Avoid the 100" task force target intoxicated drivers.
In the first 48 hours of Memorial Day Weekend last year, 387 arrests were made for driving under the influence, officials said.
Officials also advise motorists to call 9-1-1 to report impaired drivers.
Funding for this campaign was provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

CHINO HILLS -- A 19-year-old man has been killed after he was run over by two vehicles following a fight in Chino Hills.
Authorities say Raymond Jimenez died at a hospital early Saturday after witnesses say a van and a sedan hit him. San Bernardino sheriff's deputies had responded to the area because they received a report of people fighting in the street.
No arrests have been made.

*UPDATE: Maria Medina was found Sunday afternoon, unharmed, wandering in a Khol's store in Glendora, La Verne police officials said.

LA VERNE -- Police are seeking an 80-year-old woman who suffers from Alzheimer's Disease and heart problems who disappeared Saturday.
Maria "Cocorro" Medina was last seen about 11:30 p.m. at her home in the 1000 block of Canyon View Drive, La Verne police said in a written statement.
Medina, who speaks Spanish, does not have her medication with her, officials said.
Medina is possibly wearing a turquoise sweater and cotton pants.
Anyone with information is asked to call the La Verne Police Department.

*Photo of Maria Medina courtesy of the La Verne Police Department.

EL MONTE -- Police sought the public's help Sunday in finding a man who savagely beat another man in front of a local liquor store, and in front of a surveillance camera.

A 27-year-old El Monte man suffered a broken jaw and had several teeth knocked out in the unprovoked attack which occurred about 1:30 p.m. Thursday in front of Little Five Points Liquor, 2602 Mountain View Road, El Monte police Sgt. David Vautrin said in a written statement.

The victim was walking near the store when he was attacked and repeatedly punched by a Latino man between 15 and 19 years old, about 5 feet 7inches tall, with light brown hair, dark brown eyes, a white t-shirt and unknown color shorts, police said.

Police have released video footage captured by a store surveillance camera in hopes of someone recognizing the attacker.

Anyone with information is asked to call the El Monte Police Department.

Surveillance video of the attack.

Here's a tale from the Associated Press about a man who apparently ignored officials' warnings about drinking and driving over the Memorial Day weekend:

POMONA -- A man has been arrested for investigation of driving under the influence after hitting a police car outside a Pomona police station, injuring the officer.
Police say 24-year-old Richard Cardoza was booked for felony DUI and is being held on $130,000 bail.
Authorities say Cardoza was driving early Sunday when he ran a red light and his vehicle struck a police car directly in front of a police station. The officer had minor injuries and was treated and released from a hospital.
Cardoza also was taken to a hospital and released.

WEST COVINA -- Police arrested a wanted parolee with the help of a police dog Saturday after he barricaded himself inside his home for more than two hours.
Gary Smith, 42, of West Covina was booked on suspicion of domestic violence, resisting arrest and parole violations, West Covina police Lt. Tommy Garcia said.
The standoff began about 3:50 p.m. when police responded to reports of domestic violence at the home Smith shared with his wife in the 2400 block of Nikki Court, the lieutenant said.
When officers arrived, Smith's wife came out, Garcia said, but Smith locked himself inside the home.
Authorities suspect Smith struck his wide, though she was not seriously injured.
After slightly more than two hours, police forced their way into the home and a police dog found Smith hiding in the attic and bit him, Garcia said. He was hospitalized with a significant dog bite.
Smith's initial court date and bail amount were not available late Saturday.

*Updated:

SOUTH EL MONTE -- Authorities sought the public's help Saturday in finding a woman with a history of child abuse who disappeared along with her young daughters as officials investigated new allegations against her.
Alma Beatriz Frias of South El Monte and her 2-month-old and 2-year-old daughters went missing on May 15 after Frias fled her home, sheriff's officials said. Two possible birthdates were provided by sheriff's officials that indicate Frias is either 29 or 31.
Officials from the Department of Children and Family Services went to Frias' house in the 1600 block of Bunker Avenue to look into new allegations of child abuse and take her 2-year-old and 2-month-old daughters into protective custody, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy Byron Ward said in a written statement.
"Upon their arrival, Frias ran from the residence without her daughters and has not been seen since," the statement said.
The daughters were not found inside the home, authorities said, and since they also have not been seen since May 15, they are presumed to be with Frias.
According to court records, a woman of the same name born on one of the birthdates provided by officials was convicted in late 2003 of child abuse causing great bodily injury or death.
Further details of the 2003 incident were not available Saturday.
The missing mother is now suspected of new acts of child abuse, Ward said.
The Sheriff's Department was asked to step into the investigation by DCFS officials in recent days, officials said.
Calls to the DCFS Saturday went unanswered.
The sheriff's detective handling the investigation also could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Frias is described as a Latina woman standing about 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau 24-hour tip line at (866) 247-5877.

From the Associated Press:

NORWALK-- Two men, including one from Whittier, convicted of impersonating police detectives to cheat grieving families out of thousands of dollars have been sentenced to prison.

A Superior Court judge on Friday sentenced Martin Pelayo of Whittier to 22 years in prison and Frank Kegel of Simi Valley to 10 years behind bars.

Kegel and Pelayo were convicted last month of defrauding two Spanish-speaking families between October and November 2007.

The two men told a family he was a detective and could prevent them from being fined for neglect after their son he died of a heart attack alone. The family gave them $17,000 in cash.

In another case, the two men duped the family of an Iraq war veteran who was stabbed to death out of $28,000 by claiming they could solve her son's death.

LA PUENTE -- An incident initially reported as an attempted kidnapping of a young girl from outside an elementary school Friday was ultimately investigated as an incident of "child annoyance," authorities said.
Sheriff's deputies raced to Yorbita Elementary School, 520 Vidalia Avenue, about 1:20 p.m. after the girl ran to the school office to report a frightening encounter with a man in a can parked in front of the school.
"A 12-year-old girl was walking to the elementary school to pick up her brother," Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John McBride said.
She spotted a Latino man sitting in a white Ford Windstar minivan with some sort of cage on the interior who called out to her in Spanish to, "come here,'" he said.
The girl became frightened and ran to the school office, McBride said.
When officials went to find the man in the white van, he was gone, the lieutenant added. The van was last seen headed west on Jeannie Drive. A further description of the man was not available.
Though deputies initially responded to the call as a possible abduction attempt, McBride said, that did not appear to be the case after investigation.
"We're going to write a child annoyance (report) to document it," he said.
He added that the man in the van never got out of his van or made any physical attempt to abduct the girl.
"It doesn't look like an attempted kidnapping," he said.
As with any incident involving a threat to a child, however, the incident is being taken seriously, McBride said.
"I don't want to minimize this at all," he said.
Deputies saturated the neighborhood following the incident.
Yorbita Elementary School Principal Erika Krohn said she was pleased with the speedy police response and the actions of the girl.
"She ran to the school, which is just what we want our kids to do," she said. "She was upset, but she handled it very well."
The principal added, "We are just glad everyone's safe."

This from Suffolk County DA spokesman Jake Wark:

BOSTON, May 22, 2009--The defendant formerly known as "Clark Rockefeller" will go to trial next week, 10 months after he allegedly abducted his daughter from the heart of Boston's tony Back Bay and led investigators on a manhunt that ended in Maryland but sparked international curiosity as to his true identity.
        Jury selection in the trial of CHRISTIAN KARL GERHARTSREITER (D.O.B. 2/21/61), a native of West Germany who most recently lived across from the Boston Public Garden, is scheduled to begin Tuesday. He is charged with parental kidnapping for the July 27, 2008, incident in which he absconded with his daughter, then 7, during a post-divorce visitation supervised by an independent social worker.
        Under Massachusetts law, kidnapping a minor relative is a felony punishable by up to five years in state prison.
        In addition to that lead charge, Gerhartsreiter is also accused of three additional offenses: assault and battery for allegedly shoving the social worker as he hustled his daughter into a waiting sport-utility vehicle driven by an unwitting accomplice; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon - the SUV - for instructing that driver to "go" as the social worker clung to the door handle and fell to the ground, suffering minor injuries; and furnishing a false name to police after his Aug. 2 arrest in Baltimore.
        The latter charge, developed in the course of a far-reaching investigation in the Suffolk County Special Grand Jury, reflects the defendant's identification of himself as "Clark Rockefeller" during an interview with Boston Police detectives and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Under Massachusetts law, providing a false name to police for a dishonest purpose carries a one-year jail term.
        Gerhartsreiter made off with the young girl shortly before 1:00 on the third day of their first visit following his December 2007 divorce from the child's mother. The driver who chauffeured them from the scene was allegedly told in advance that the court-ordered social worker monitoring the visit was a "clingy" acquaintance from whom they would have to make a quick escape.
        Gerhartsreiter allegedly instructed the driver to drop them off at Massachusetts General Hospital, from where he took a taxi to the Boston Sailing Center. There he met a second unwitting confederate he had promised $500 for a ride to New York City under the pretense of making a Long Island boat launch by 8:00. During the course of that ride, prosecutors say, Gerhartsreiter prevented the driver from using her phone - and learning of the Amber Alert that followed the child's abduction - by secretly turning it off and overtly telling her not to use it.
        From New York, Gerhartreiter made his way to Baltimore, where he had earlier purchased a home with cashier's checks. He had allegedly identified himself as "Charles Smith" to his realtor and assigned a false name to his daughter as well. On Aug. 1, the realtor recognized Gerhartsreiter from media reports of the abduction and notified the FBI. That notice led rapidly to Gerhartsreiter's arrest and his daughter's rescue.
        Gerhartsreiter was returned to Boston, arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court on Aug. 5, and ordered held without bail. Following his indictment by the Special Grand Jury, a Suffolk Superior Court clerk magistrate set bail in the amount of $50,000,000; a Superior Court judge later revoked that bail at prosecutors' request. The defendant has remained in custody since his arrest.
        Jury selection is expected to last at least one full day and possibly several days. There will be no court proceedings on May 29. Once a panel of deliberating and alternate jurors is selected, an estimated 10 to 15 days of testimony are expected to follow.
        Assistant District Attorney David Deakin, chief of District Attorney Daniel F. Conley's Family Protection and Sexual Assault Bureau, led the grand jury investigation and is prosecuting the case. Gerhartsreiter is represented by attorneys Jeffrey Denner and Timothy Bradl. Judge Frank Gaziano is presiding over the case in courtroom 906 of the Suffolk County Courthouse, located at Three Pemberton Square in Boston.

ROSEMEAD -- A man severely damaged four parked cars Thursday and punched a man who confronted him, authorities said.
The incident occurred about noon in the 8400 block of Garvey Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Walker said.
A man described only as Asian caused major vandalism damage to the cars when one of the owners confronted him about it, the sergeant said.
The suspect punched the man in the face and ran away, he added.
The man who was punched suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized, Walker said.
The sergeant declined to say Thursday specifically what type of damage was done to the cars.

MONTEBELLO -- A robber stole a person's iPod at knifepoint Thursday in a residential neighborhood, police said.
The incident occurred about 3 p.m. at Hay Street and Plaza Libre, Montebello police Lt. Brad Keller said.
The victim was approached by a robber described only as male and Latino who brandished a knife and demanded the music player, Keller said.
The robber was last seen running west on Plaza Libre, he added.
No further details were available.

This from the PCC Courier:

Members of the PCC community are mourning the death of Darryl Stephens, a former football player at PCC who had a troubled stay on campus and died on Monday in a suspected suicide.

Stephens was found in an apartment in Upland after Upland Police responded to reports of gunshots on Sunday.

"According to Upland [Police], in their investigation, suicide was indicated," said San Bernardino County Sheriff's Sgt. Tony DeCecio.

"I cried like a baby [when I found out]," said PCC Professor Jessie Moore, who taught Stephens. "Darryl used to call me mom. He was that kind of guy. He had issues, like we all do, but was working on his issues."

According to San Bernardino County Coroner Spokeswoman Sandy Fatland, Stephens was pronounced dead at 12:13 a.m. Monday at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center after an original injury at 10:23 a.m. Sunday described as a "gun shot to the upper body."

In your face Governor Musclehead.

You tried to hold the state hostage by putting a gun to our heads and threatening us with dire consequences if your budget plan didn't pass.

It didn't. Now it's up to you and your dysfunctional cronies in Sacramento to fix California. The sad thing is that none of you have the political skill to pull the state out of the mess it's in.

Here are some suggestions from me, an average voter, living an average life in an average California suburb.

Don't threaten to release the dregs of the state's prison population into our streets. Instead renegotiate contracts with the prison guards. If they don't want to work, fire them. There's plenty of out-of-work Californians who would would relish any sort of job that would permit them to take care of their families.

No doubt many are qualified to work as prison guards.

Move on from there by throwing the special interest lobbies out of the Capitol - get the money changers out of the temple now.

Then, give back the cash you've stolen from local governments and let the people decide how best to spend their own money in their own neighborhoods.

Also, privatize useless bureaucracies like the state lottery. Contract out to the lowest bidder all maintenance, engineering and testing work done by Caltrans.

Force school districts to cut back on bloated administrations that include $100,000-salaried assistant superintendents. Get rid of mandates that force teachers to teach to the test instead of teaching to the natural abilities of their students.

Eliminate stupid multi-million dollar scams like the California Air Resources Board's plan to force gas station owners to check tire pressures using a state-approved gauge.

Don't believe there's such a thing?

Check out what the Redding Searchlight wrote back on March 28:

"The air board passed new rules governing tire inflation. They require oil-change shops, smog stations and auto mechanics to check and properly inflate the tires of each vehicle they service, using state-authorized gauges and up-to-date manuals, and to keep records available for inspection by the tire-inflation police."

UNREAL!

And you, Governor Musclehead, had the nerve to blame California voters for the mess we are in ???

Clearly your campaign was the equivalent of cutting out individual letters from newspaper and magazine articles and pasting them on a yellowed piece of lined paper.

"PAy uP NOW or YOUr staTe DiEs!"

If we don't negotiate with terrorists in this country, why the hell would we give in to your demands?

Nice try. Use the remaining 18 months of your term to fix this state. If you can't do that, then get back to Hollywood now, perhaps you can pair up with Danny DeVito for Twins II.

After all, as your character Julius Benedict said in the original, "If you choose to bluff, you must be prepared to have the bluff called."

This from AP in Fresno:

FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno firefighters had to improvise in order to transport the corpse of a 51-year-old man believed to weigh more than 800 pounds out of a residential hotel.

Fire Department spokesman Ken Shockley says firefighters needed to remove a wall of the second-floor apartment and use an intricate pulley system to extract the man Tuesday night.

The body was wrapped in a large tarp when it reached the ground floor. Firefighters used the pulleys, rope and a gurney rated for 1,500 pounds to load the man into a coroner's van.

Shockley says neighbors told firefighters that no one had seen the man walking around the hotel for more than a month.

Officials have not identified the man.

While local public officials continue to deny the existence of brown on black hate crime, the FBI cracked down on a Hawaiian Gardens gang responsible for several heinous crimes.

From the Associated Press:

Federal and local agencies were conducting a series of arrests targeting members and associates of the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens street gang, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek said.

A series of federal racketeering indictments was due to be unsealed later Thursday, detailing firearms, narcotics and other charges related to the attacks, Mrozek said.

Further details were not released, but Mrozek said the indictments would detail the attacks on several black victims.

The indictments mark at least the second time in less than two years that federal authorities have alleged that Latino gang members attacked black residents because of their race. Local officials have tried to downplay any racial tensions.

This from the DA's office:

LOS ANGELES - The District Attorney's Justice System Integrity Division announced charges today against a former Glendora police officer accused of taking money.

Timothy Radogna, 33 (dob 07/10/75), is charged with one count each of possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, possession for sale of a controlled substance and grand theft exceeding $400.

Radogna could be arraigned as early as tomorrow in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The defendant was charged in a felony complaint for arrest warrant on May 14. Radogna is being held on $150,000 bail.

If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a maximum term of nine years and eight months in state prison.

 

MONTEBELLO -- Authorities have released a composite sketch of a man who tried to kidnap an 11-year-old girl Monday before her teenage brother and a friend fought off the attacker.
The incident occurred about 3 p.m. on Marconi Avenue at 16th Street, Montebello police Sgt. Javier Ornelas said.
The suspect was described as a Latino man between 35 and 40 years old, with brown hair and brown eyes. He stood about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighed about 250 pounds, was unshaven, and wore a baseball cap and a blue, short-sleeve shirt.
He placed a zip tie around the girl's neck and forced her into the truck of his car, which was described as 2000-2003, silver, 4-door small car with grey interior, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Montebello police detectives at (323) 887-1262, or after hours at (323) 887-1313.

*Drawing courtesy of the Montebello Police Department.

Neal Williams would have been 29 today. 

Last year was hard. I've said this before, I know, but the pain of losing a child is like a primal scream. It feels like a piece of your very soul has been ripped out and there is no comfort or solace for that kind of pain. Time may dull the edge of it a bit, but you will live with the pain of your loss for the rest of your life. There is no "getting over it". You can come to accept that loss and make it a part of who you have become, so that you can move ahead in life. But, you always feel sorrow that your child is gone.

We're working to verify these stories now. Just thought I'd share some of the mail. First a car crash Sunday in Rowland Heights:

There was a car crash on May 17th, 2009, Sunday. My fiance was behind the car when it got hit by an suv, the car flipped over and landed in Joe's Crab Shack. My fiance saw the car flipped upside down and he saw the passenger with their eyes open and blood everywhere. He was sure they had passed away, and has been pretty tramatized about it. I've been looking everywhere on the internet to see if it was reported and I havent found anything. I was wondering if you will be reporting it? or is there anywhere that they might where I can find it. I just would like to give him some peace of mind and me as well. Thank you so much :) It happened in Rowland heights by the Puente Hills Mall. 

Next, a stabbing in Highland Park (also Sunday):

There was a stabbing in Garvanza Park near the corner of Avenue 64 and Meridian last night (Sunday, the 17th) at approximately 6 pm.  The small park was full of families at that time and I believe the stabbing victim has since succumbed (based on the memorial that now stands in the park). There was a heavy LAPD presence in the park just after the slaying.
As I have seen no mention of this incident in the media anywhere, I thought I'd bring it to your attention.

Questions about the Mongols motorcycle gang:

I've recently become aware that they're making a film about William Queen's book, "Under and Alone."
After reading the book, I began to wonder how The Mongols got to be what they are today. I knew one of them, very briefly, 30 years ago, and he and his friends were not like the book described at all.
I read the article in the SGV Tribune and, although they weren't boy scouts, Tony Vodnik's description was more what I remember. 
He may be able to answer some questions for me.
If you have a way I can contact him via email, and can share that info with me - or forward this to him, I'd appreciate it.

Finally, a drive-by in Rowland Heights:

I was told by a friend that there was a drive by shooting in Rowland Heights last week.
I wanted to make sure of those facts. I saw a deputy sheriff so I asked him if there was
in fact a drive by shooting in Rowland Heights. He said yes there was one.
Why isn't there any mention of it on your site or in the Newspaper?

Care to chime in on any of these incidents? 

This from LA Now regarding the death of porn actress Marilyn Chambers:

"The findings of the autopsy," according to the coroner's report, "have established the cause of death to be: effects of cerebral hemorrhage, ruptured cerebral artery berry aneurysm. Other conditions: Hypertrophic heart disease."

Toxicology tests showed that two drugs in her system -- hydrocodone and citalopram -- were "within or below therapeutic levels."

A final autopsy will be available in several weeks, coroner's officials said.

Serious questions need to be asked of the El Monte Police Department's brass.

Last Wednesday the department came under scrutiny after one of its officers kicked a prone suspect in the head. That the kick came at the end of a high-speed pursuit offers little -- if any -- justification.

Richard Rodriguez, 22, of El Monte, a tattooed member of the El Monte Flores street gang took the full force kick to the head in stunning hi-def on live television. Rodriguez was subsequently booked for parole violations, evading police and several other crimes. He is being held in Men's Central -- probably waiting for a bus back to state prison, where he belongs.

The officer who delivered the kick, identified as George Fierro, returned to work the next day. Fierro, come to find out, owns a clothing company that caters to gang members and glorifies the Mexican Mafia.

His "brand" so sickens good cops that at least one tried to warn California gang investigators about a potential rogue in their midst.

"Has anyone seen or know about this gang clothing that a police officer is selling to gangsters," LAPD Detective David Espinoza wrote. "I understand the gangs really love this cop. I understand the clothing has hiding places for contraband, guns and dope. Things that can hurt our real cops on the street."

It's hard to believe, El Monte police Chief Tom Armstrong had no knowledge of Fierro's extracurricular activities.

There are many other questions Armstrong needs to answer.

At a press conference the day following Rodriguez's beat down, Armstrong sent Lt. Ken Alva to face the music. He read from a prepared statement, took a limited number of queries, then retreated to the safety of the police station.

On Friday, Armstrong and Alva took the day off. That came despite the fact that both men are very highly paid public servants and their department is facing a crisis.

Armstrong refused Monday to release a tape of the pursuit, which is a public record.

Why?

Did Fierro have a reason other than the catch-all "parole violation" for pulling over Rodriguez? Certainly a tape would show that.

What about the department procedures regarding so-called "distraction blows?" The policy seems pretty vague compared to professional standards required by the LAPD and county Sheriff's Department.

The City Council also needs to be questioned. For too long those who have taken campaign cash from police department sources have done nothing to improve its image.

Those who don't get the money have been whining for years about public safety.

If there was ever a chance to clean house in El Monte, now's the time.

PASADENA -- A gunman robbed a man at his Pasadena home and stole his SUV Sunday, police said.
The incident occurred about 3 p.m. in the 500 block of North El Molino Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.
The victim, a man in his 30s, was just arriving home when the robber approached him, ordered him into the home and stole his wallet, cell phone and car keys at gunpoint, the lieutenant said.
The robber then ordered the victim into a closet before stealing the the man's SUV from his driveway and fleeing in it, Ibarra said.
The SUV was recovered, apparently undamaged, later in the day in Los Angeles, she said.
The robber was described as a Latino man, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing about 200 pounds, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, Ibarra said.

WHITTIER -- Authorities Sunday released the name of a local man who was killed in a shooting over the weekend, as neighbors remembered the victim as a devoted father of four with another child on the way.
Danny Quijada, 30, died at the scene of the attack, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said.
"He was all about his family," said neighbor Robert Jimenez. "He put his family first."
Family members of Quijada could not be reached for comment Sunday.
The shooting was reported about 5:30 p.m. in front of an apartment building in the 6300 block of Milton Avenue, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said.
Quijada was standing out front of the apartment building where neighbors said he lived with his family when he was approached by an attacker initially described only as a Latino man with short black hair and a baseball cap who had the appearance of a gang member, Webster said.
Area residents said they heard three loud shots.
The shooter is believed to have run to an alley west of Milton Avenue and fled in a dark grey Toyota Camry, Webster said. It was not clear if there was a getaway driver, or if the shooter drove himself away from the scene.
Whittier police Lt. Carlos Solorza said Quijada did not appear to be involved with gangs.
A motive in the shooting was not available.
Some residents said the broad daylight shooting left them nervous.
"There's always kids out there playing," neighbor Cynthia Gamez said as she gestured toward the shooting scene.
Quijada loved cars and spent a lot of time cleaning his Cadillac, neighbors said. He was also known in the neighborhood for listening to oldies music.
Mary Wells was one Quijada's favorite singers, Jimenez said. "Sometimes I thought that was the only CD he ever had."
Jimenez added that Quijada was very friendly.
"I never saw him in a bad mood," he said.
Though Quijada was not employed at the time of his death, Jimenez said he worked in construction and had helped build Whittier's Greenway Trail.
A memorial of candles, Bud Light bottles, flowers and a crucifix marked the scene of the shooting Sunday.
The shooting remains under investigation, police said, and anyone with information is asked to call with Whittier police tip line at (562) 945-8213.

PHOTOS: Top - A crime scene photographer examines the scene of the shooting late Saturday. Bottom - A memorial of candles, Bud Light bottles, flowers and a crucifix stood at the scene of the slaying Sunday.

LA HABRA -- A father was arrested on suspicion of child abuse and attempted murder Saturday after his 8-month-old child was rushed to the hospital, authorities said.
The suspect's name was not released Sunday pending further investigation, La Habra police Sgt. Mel Ruiz said. He was initially described only as a 37-year-old La Habra man.
Officials responded to a call reporting a baby having trouble breathing about 8:40 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 1500 block of South Beach Boulevard, Ruiz said.
The infant was hospitalized in critical condition, he said, and the father was arrested.
Police did not release the baby's gender or what types of injuries the baby suffered.

WHITTIER -- A person was killed Saturday in a drive-by shooting in a residential neighborhood, police said.
The incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. in the 6300 block of Milton Avenue, Whittier police Lt. Carlos Solorza said.
The victim, who was initially described only as male, died at the scene, the lieutenant said.
The shooter passed by and opened fire from inside a dark-colored sedan, Solorza said.
No further details were immediately available.

ARCADIA -- A man apparently hung himself from a tree Saturday at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, authorities said.
The dead man was initially described as a 54-year-old Baldwin Park resident, Arcadia police Lt. Larry Goodman said.
His name was not released pending notification of his family members, coroner's officials said.
Arboretum visitors reported finding the body of a man in the south parking lot of the arboretum, off of North Baldwin Avenue, just before 9:40 a.m., Goodman said.
Officials pronounced the man dead at the scene, he said.
There were no signs of foul play, and the death is believed to be a suicide, police and coroner's officials said.

COVINA -- About 900 Covina residents were advised to stay in their homes and keep their doors and windows shut following an ammonia leak at a packaging plant late Friday.
Fire officials initially reported four blocks around the Vita-Pakt Citrus Products Co., 707 N. Barranca Avenue were being evacuated in response to the leak, however later said they decided to advise residents to "shelter in place" through a reverse 9-1-1 system.
The incident was first reported about 8 p.m. at the plant, Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Frederic Stowers said.
In addition to warning nearby residents, service on a nearby Metrolink line was temporarily shut down, Stowers said.
"There was a valve that was stuck open that they are trying to close," Stowers said.
Hazardous materials crews shut the valve down shortly after 10 p.m., officials said, and residents were called back through the reverse 9-1-1 system and told the danger had passed.
No injuries were reported.

PASADENA -- A robber who may have worn black make-up to hide is identity escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash after holding up a local bank, officials said.
The crime occurred about 2 p.m. when the robber entered a Chase bank branch at Colorado Boulevard and Lake Avenue and slipped a teller a note demanding cash, Pasadena police said. He was last seen running southbound from the bank.
The robber was described as a man in his 30s, standing about 6 feet tall, of thin build, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.
Though the robber was initially reported to be a black man, authorities determined he may have been wearing dark make-up to mask his true race, she said. Witnesses reported the man's face had a strange, unnatural-color to it, and surveillance video shows the robber's hands are of much lighter complexion than his face.
No weapon was seen during the robbery.

From reporter Daniel Tedford:

COMMERCE - Investigators called on the public on Friday to help find an El Monte woman who went missing more than a week ago under suspicious circumstances.

Maria Chavez, 39, was last seen May 7 at 8:45 p.m. after leaving her shop at an indoor swap meet in East Los Angeles.

She was in her 1998 champagne colored Honda Accord. The car was later found abandoned on the side of the road on the 17000 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles.

"We really need the public's assistance to help find Maria," said Lt. Dave Dolson at a press conference Friday.

Detectives suspect foul play in Chavez's disappearance, but declined to elaborate.

Chavez was described as a devoted single mother. She has a young daughter, and her disappearance is out of character, police and relatives said.

Police have been in contact with the father of her child, but have no suspects.

"All leads are being followed," Dolson said.

Family members of Chavez attended Friday's press conference. They included her two brothers, a sister and a friend of the family.

One brother, with a wavering voice and tears, requested the public's help in finding his sister.

* Above: Photo of Maria Chavez courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

This comes from reporter Rod Leveque:

POMONA -- A serial killer already on death row for the slayings of six women pleaded guilty on Friday to two additional murders.
Ivan J. Hill admitted to the 1986 and 1987 strangulations of Lorna Patricia Reed and Rhonda Rene Jackson. The convictions bring Hill's known body-count to nine.
"You have left holes in lives that can never be closed," Jackson's mother, Jacqueline Shaheed told Hill during a hearing Friday in Pomona Superior Court. "You are an evil, evil person."
Reed, 35, was found dead in an open field near Bonelli Park in San Dimas on Feb 11, 1986. She was partially clothed, and had a rope wrapped four times around her neck.
Jackson, 23, was found in a trash bin in a parking lot of Palomares Park in Pomona on Feb. 27, 1987. She was nude and appeared to have been strangled with her sweat pants.
Hill, 48, roamed the eastern San Gabriel Valley in the 1980s and 1990s strangling women, mostly prostitutes, and dumping their bodies in public places such as parks and parking lots. Many of the bodies were found in cities along the 60 Freeway between Ontario and Industry, earning Hill the nickname of "60 Slayer."
Investigators linked Hill to the killings through DNA more than a decade later.
In 2007, Hill was convicted and sentenced to death for strangling six women over a three-month span in 1993 and 1994.
Those were the murders of Roxanne Bates of Montclair, Betty Sue Harris of Pomona, Helen Ruth Hill of West Covina, Donna Goldsmith of Pomona, Cheryl Sayers of Ontario and Debra Brown of Los Angeles.
Prosecutors knew about the two additional murders at the time, but did not charge Hill with them because evidence was still being gathered.
It was only late last year, after Hill had already received the death penalty for the other crimes, that prosecutors brought the new charges.
"It was the right thing to do for the victims' families," Deputy District Attorney John Monaghan said.
Hill admitted on Friday to two counts of first-degree murder, along with a special circumstance of having a prior murder conviction.
After accepting Hill's guilty plea on Friday, Judge Charles Horan sentenced Hill to an additional term of life in prison without possibility of parole.
Horan allowed relatives of the two victims to address Hill during the hearing.
Reed's daughter, Tampatha Reed, calmly told the judge that no punishment was severe enough for Hill.
Shaheed grew angry as she spoke. She wished Hill a life of agony, and told him she resented that the public would have to pay to care for him in prison.
"It is unfair to us that we have to take care of your rotten soul," she said. "I pray that your life is short."
Monaghan said Hill is not a suspect in any additional murders.
Hill's attorney, Jennifer Friedman, said Hill would appeal. Friedman declined to comment further immediately after the hearing.
Hill has a long rap sheet, which includes a 1979 murder conviction for his role in the shooting death of a Glendora liquor store clerk during a robbery.

Above: File photo of Ivan Hill

Ben Baeder compiled a brief look at El Monte Flores, a gang comprised of 400 members that has its origins in an neighborhood near a nursery.

George Fierro, the El Monte cop identified by sources inside City Hall as the officer who kicked a prone suspect in the head, owns Torcido Clothing, a line of apparel catering to gang members that glorifies prison life. 

Two men are being held on suspicion of shooting a West Covina woman to death Monday in Pomona, police said Thursday.
Ramiro Juan Alvarez, 24, of Azusa and Rodney Coronel Perez, 28, of Covina are suspected in the death of 24-year-old Roberta Marie Romero of West Covina, Pomona police Sgt. Matt Stone said in a written statement.
"Both Alvarez and Perez are being charged with murder and are held in county jail without bail," the statement said.
Police responded to calls of gunshots heard in the area of Glenpark Street and Bellevue Avenue in Pomona about 5 a.m. when they found Romero lying in the street, Stone said.
"The victim was shot in the upper body," the statement said.
Romero was pronounced dead at the scene about 20 minutes after the shooting was reported, Investigator Lydia Granado-Mata of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said.
The cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds, she said.
A motive in the slaying was not released Thursday.
Detectives from the Pomona Police Department and other agencies worked together on the investigation and came up with possible suspects, Stone said.
Authorities learned late Monday that the suspects were possibly in the area of Third Street and Tippecanoe Avenue in San Bernardino, Stone said, and San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies were sent to find them.
Deputies found Alvarez and captured him after a brief foot chase, the sergeant said.
On Tuesday, officials learned that Perez had been arrested by Upland police on drug charges and was in custody in a San Bernardino County jail, Stone said.
According to court records, Alvarez was being held in Los Angeles County on Thursday, while Perez is being held in San Bernardino County.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Pomona Police Department's tip line at (909) 620-2085.

From the Associated Press:

TIJUANA, MEXICO -- The bodies of four U.S. citizens have been found strangled in a van in Tijuana, Mexico.
Mexican authorities said Thursday the victims had been tied up, beaten and stabbed.
Fermin Gomez, an assistant state prosecutor in Baja California, says the victims were found Saturday.
Two of the male victims lived in the San Diego area, the two women lived in Chula Vista.
They ranged in age from 19 to 23 years old.
Gomez says one of the victims tested positive for cocaine. He says one of the victims' relatives told authorities they knew alleged drug traffickers.
Bernard Gonzales, a spokesman for the Chula Vista Police Department, says a friend told the women's parents they were headed to nightclubs in Tijuana on Thursday night.

COVINA -- A man tried to kidnap a 17-year-old girl Thursday, and police are asking the public's help in finding the would-be abductor.
The incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. on Arrow Highway between Lark Ellen and Azusa avenues, just north of Gladstone High School, Covina police Lt. John Curley.
The teen was walking with her 2-month-old baby in a stroller on the sidewalk when a man passed by in a white van and whistled at her, the lieutenant said.
The girl continued walking, but the man pulled his van over and ordered her to get inside, he said.
When the girl refused, the man grabbed onto the stroller, but the girl was able to strike him and escape, Curley said.
The failed kidnapper is described as a Latino man in his 50s, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, Curley said.
He had a silver upper tooth and wore a white shirt and blue pants, he said.
The can was described as a white Chevy Astro van with windows all around, Curley added.
Anyone with information is asked to call Covina police At (626) 858-4413.

An international police brutality incident..

A missing woman -- possibly the victim of foul play.

But in El Monte Thursday afternoon ...

A couple of quick updates in El Monte police department beating of a prone suspect:

First of all, suspect Richie "Turtle" Rodriguez apparently had a rap sheet filled with minor, non-violent offenses. Police have said Turtle was a member of El Monte Flores.

In the LA Times, City Councilwoman Pat Wallach, a frequent and vocal critic of the department, refused to criticize the actions of the cop who did the kicking.

"We are waiting for reports before we make specific comments on what occurred," said Wallach.

The videotaped beating of a pursuit suspect by El Monte Police officers has caught the eye of the ACLU.

PASADENA -- A woman who thwarted a burglary at her home by using her vehicle to block the burglars' car was shot in the side by one of the men, police said.

One man, in his 20s, was arrested. Police are still looking for a second man. And the 49-year-old woman was taken to a hospital with a non-life-threathening bullet wound, police said. The incident unfolded at about 11:30 a.m., when the woman arrived home, pulled into the driveway of her residence in the 500 block of East Ladera Street, and found a car parked in the driveway.

She was sitting inside her vehicle when two men walked out of her home carrying items of her property. The two men got into their car, an older gray sedan, and tried to drive off, but the homeowner used her vehicle to ram the back of the burglars' car, police said.

At that point, one of the men got of their car, walked up to the passenger side of the woman's vehicle and opened fire. He missed. He then went around the driver's side and fired again, hitting the woman in the side, police said.

A pursuit that started in El Monte, wound through Baldwin Park and ended up in Pico Rivera looked a lot like something from Grand Theft Auto.

Here's their video:

In case you missed it, Governor Musclehead offered all Californians an Austrian blessing Monday.

I'll paraphrase it:

May your children be uneducated.

And fires ravage your homes.

May your tax dollars be stolen

and prisoners free to roam.

That sums up the sort of fear-mongering demagogic rhetoric Arnold offered as he pleaded with Californians to vote in favor of more taxes at the polls Tuesday.

Speaking in Culver City earlier this week, the Taxinator also threatened cuts in health care and public safety spending if his tax plan is not passed.

He's blaming all of us for the state's misfortune - instead of looking in the mirror and pointing fingers at Republican and Democrat hacks whoring out tax dollars to special interests.

"The people are angry at Sacramento, the people are angry at the politicians," Schwarzenegger said. "But they should not let that anger out on killing those initiatives, because what they will do is they will hurt their local communities."

See, it's your fault.

Arnold has reverted to his role as Det. John Kimble in Kindergarten Cop.

At one point in the pic he yells at the kids, "Stop whining! You kids are soft. You lack discipline."

He will teach and we will learn. It's only a matter of time before he utters the German phrase he spoke later on, "Das macht mich stocksauer. Jetzt bin ich sauer."

(Translation: "This makes me mad. Now I am angry.")

Next Gov. Musclehead just might start stamping his feet and flexing his muscles to show he means business.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, here's how Schwarzenegger plans to pay us back when his plan backfires and dies at the ballot box:

"Some of the possibilities he has mentioned in recent days if the measures fail include laying off more than 50,000 teachers, closing dozens of fire stations, releasing 40,000 nonviolent prisoners early and borrowing $2 billion from local governments around the state," Mercury News reporter Mike Zapler wrote from Sacramento.

Are you scared?

The governor's failure stems from a total lack of leadership. Instead of standing for something, he stands for compromise.

In Sacramento that doesn't work. Just ask state Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Claremont, who is facing a recall for his willingness to work with Democrats on the budget plan that put us where we are today.

It's hard to believe the only solutions to the mess we face involves closing schools and releasing felons or stealing more money from hard-working people.

How about paying prison guards less? How about cutting staff in the capitol? How about a spending cap that isn't tied to increased taxes. Just stop spending.

These are tough times. The governor needs to get some discipline, stop being soft and knock off the whining.

I'll offer him an Irish blessing from my ancestors in return:

"If God sends you down a stony path,

may he give you strong shoes."

Perhaps this sort of news comes in threes:

Fox 11 is reporting that a 1998 four-door Honda Accord belonging to a missing El Monte woman has been found on PCH near Malibu.

This from Public Editor Larry Wilson, who read it in a Santa Barbara newspaper:

SANTA ANA - A Florida woman is accused of making more than $8.5 million from an online prostitution business that claimed to employ porn stars and fashion models.

Michelle Braun appeared Monday in federal court in Orange County and was allowed to remain free pending her next pretrial hearing next month.

The Boca Raton woman is accused of charging clients $50,000 or more to spend the night with adult film stars, models, and actresses. Prosecutors say she used her travel business, Global Travel Network Inc., to launder the money.

Braun pleaded not guilty in March to money laundering and transporting someone for prostitution purposes. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors say she is expected to change her plea to guilty before her next hearing.

Braun and her lawyer declined to comment.

The OC Register broke this story Tuesday. The story claims that porn queen McKenzie Lee was among those offered to clients...

The La Puente City Council is prepared to take a vote tonight possibly indicating support for a bill in the state assembly that would reduce the sentences of young murderers. Here's the text of an email I received this morning from Tracy Ponce, whose daughter was killed then stuffed in a van in the parking lot of the Pomona Police station:

Come and speak out against the City of La Puente Council's consideration of sending a letter of support for SB399.

This Bill (SB 399) in Sacramento would allow murders convicted at an age under 18 and sentenced to life without parole to have their sentences reviewed and reduced after 10 years.

The council meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.

To Speak: You will need to fill out a slip which is on the table to the left as you enter the chamber. Give the form to the clerk in the front. These speak forms must be given to the clerk before the first speaker has concluded their remarks.

It would also be great if we all wear or beautiful t-shirts, buttons, hats or anything that has our loved ones picture on it, so that the City of La Puente Council can see why we are against them supporting SB 399.

If you are unable to make it to this meeting, please feel free to send the City of La Puente, (especially Councilmen John Solis) an email, letter or even a phone call to let them know that you are AGAINST supporting this outrageous bill called SB 399.

The bears are coming out of the woods this spring. Latest sighting was overnight in Glendora where this one decided to take a dip.

The almighty Donald allowed Miss California to retain her title Tuesday after a lengthy hearing in a New York hotel. 

Clark Rockefeller's attorneys are worried that pre-trial publicity linking him to the disappearance of John and Linda Sohus from San Marino way back in 1985 might prejudice a jury in Boston.

But a judge in Suffolk County Monday denied a motion by those attorneys seekign a change fo venue.

Here's a copy of Judge Frank M. Gaziano's ruling:

 

Suspended Dodgers' slugger Manny Ramirez was spotted hanging out at Paseo Colorado Saturday night, apparently looking a little glum.

Interesting thing about his absence, Dodger pitching seems to have suffered, while the offense is still scoring.

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter wants to be called Clark Rockefeller at his upcoming trial in Boston on charges of parental abduction. Speaking at a pre-trial hearing in the case, which goes to court on May 26, Rockefeller's attorney Jeffery Denner said, "We take the position his name is Clark Rockefeller.

Rockefeller, 48, has been named by Los Angeles authorities in the 1985 disappearance of John and Linda Sohus from their home in San Marino. Here's the latest from the Boston Globe:

Defense attorney Jeffrey Denner indicated today in Suffolk Superior Court that he will try to block prosecutors from referring to his client as Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter. In the last pre-trial hearing before jury selection starts on May 26, Denner told the judge that he wanted to find a way to refer to his client as Rockefeller during the proceeding.

"We take the position that his name is Clark Rockefeller," Denner said.

The grand jury indictment, which includes a charge of giving police a fake name, referred to the defendant as Gerhartsreiter. Authorities allege that Rockefeller is one of a string of aliases used by Gerhartsreiter since moving to the United States from his native Germany as an exchange student in the 1970s. California authorities have labeled him a "person of interest" in the disappearance of a San Marino couple in the 1980s. He has not been charged with a crime in that case.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Frank Gaziano ordered today that attorneys on both sides file final motions and paperwork in the case by May 18. The trial is scheduled to start May 26.

LA PUENTE - Deputies responding to a minor car crash Sunday found a woman dead inside her SUV, authorities said.

The body of Angie Ruiz, 33 of Norwalk was discovered just after 8 a.m. in the 16000 block of East Workman Street, in front of Workman Elementary School, officials said.

It was not immediately clear Sunday what killed her, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Lillian Peck said in a written statement.

According to coroners officials, there were no apparent signs of trauma to the body.

Officials pronounced Ruiz dead after finding her slumped over inside a black Chevy Tahoe that was stopped against a support wire for a nearby power pole, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Richard Baligad said.

It was unclear Sunday if she was in the drivers seat.

A nearby resident, who declined to give his name for fear of retaliation, said he called police early Sunday after noticing the SUV and someone inside.

Prior to seeing the SUV, he said he did not see or hear anything unusual in the area.

Detectives from the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau are investigating the case.

ALTADENA -- Three shootings within a square mile radius and within less than 24 hours left one teenager dead and another man injured over the weekend, officials said.
The attacks occurred between late Saturday and Sunday evening and began with the fatal shooting of a teenage boy, followed by a drive-by shooting and ending with injuries to a man shot at by an attacker hiding behind a bush, authorities said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials -- who assigned extra patrols to the city Sunday -- said the shootings may be connected.
"I think they're probably related," Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Angela Shepherd said, based on the close proximity and time frame of the attacks.
The first shooting occurred about 11:10 p.m. Saturday in the 100 block of East Altadena Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Lillian Peck said in a written statement.
Deputies responding to call of "shots fired" discovered the victim lying in the street, suffering from gunshot wounds, Peck said.
The wounded teenager died from his injuries at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena Sunday morning, coroner's officials said.
He was listed with the coroner's office as a John Doe and was described only as a black teen between 16 or 17 years old.
The teen was not believed to be involved with gangs, Shepherd said. No suspect information was released, and a motive in the attack was not known.
About 12 hours later, someone opened fire on a man near Harriet Street and Lincoln Avenue, Shepherd said.
The victim -- described only as a black man with suspected gang ties -- was working on a car when a shooter inside a passing silver-colored SUV began firing shots, Shepherd said.
Two parked cars were struck by the gunfire, but the man was not hit, she said. The shooter was described as a black man wearing a black beanie.
Then several hours later, shortly before 5 p.m., a 39-year-old man was shot in the thigh and ankle near Stonehurst Drive and Canyada Avenue, Shepherd said.
The wounded man, who was also suspected to have gang ties, was taken to a local hospital where he was expected to survive.
In that attack, authorities said the shooter opened fire on the victim from behind a bush across the street before fleeing west on Stonehurst Drive on foot.
The suspect was described as a black man, about 5-feet-11-inches tall, wearing a black hooded sweat shirt and a black beanie.
Authorities believe the two later attacks may have been gang-related.
At the scene of the fatal shooting Sunday, a man lit a candle at a memorial to the slain teen.
He declined to give his name, but identified himself as a friend of the victim and said his friend lived in Altadena.
Resident Lauren Eaton, 26, who lives across the street from the shooting, said she heard about four gunshots late Saturday.
As sheriff's officials began arriving at the scene, "I didn't want to come out," she said. "It was kind of nerve-racking."
Eaton said the spate of shootings left her uneasy.
"It makes me nervous in the sense that it could happen anywhere," she said.
Another neighbor -- who asked his name not be published in fear of retaliation -- said he was also worried about the eruption of violence.
"I'm concerned about it ... how safe it's going to be," he said. "I better stay home at night."

*Pictured above: A memorial of candles and flowers marked the scene of a fatal shooting that claimed the life of a teenager late Saturday in the 100 block of East Altadena Drive.

POMONA -- Police searched Sunday for a man they believe breifly abducted his wife and infant daughter after attacking and badly injuring another man.
Police issued an Amber Alert for Francisco Rodriguez after he disappeared with his 18-month-old daughter, Alexis Rodriguez, and his wife, Consuelo Gonzalez.
The wife and daughter were returned home apparently unharmed later in the day, Pomona police officials said, however Rodriguez remained at large.
Police said Rodriguez, 33, fled after attacking Jose Chavez late Saturday.
Officers who responded to a report of a possible hit-and-run collision found Chavez, 30, in the street with a head wound.
According to a statement issued by the California Highway Patrol, Rodriguez allegedly struck Chavez, his neighbor, with a vehicle after discovering his wife may have been having an affair with him.
Pomona police dispatcher Jim Barnes said Rodriguez' vehicle was found abandoned Sunday in Bloomington, a city about 20 miles east of Pomona.
Chavez was flown to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.

*Pictured above, Francisco Rodriguez, 33, of Pomona. (Courtesy of the CHP)

ALTADENA -- A teenage boy died at an area hospital after he was shot in a residential neighborhood late Saturday, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 11:10 p.m. in the 100 block of East Altadena Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Lillian Peck said in a written statement.
"Altadena Station deputies responded to the area for a 'shots fired' call and discovered the victim lying in the street, suffering from gunshot wounds," the statement said.
The wounded teenager died from his injuries a short time later at an area hospital, Peck said.
No further details were released.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Mort Sahl, reported missing from his Claremont home Friday, has been found by detectives, officials said Saturday.

Family members of comedian Mort Sahl have reported the 81-year-old Canadian-born actor missing, authorities said Saturday. 

EL MONTE -- Two men shot a corn vendor in the head Friday during a failed robbery, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 4:30 p.m. in the 3600 block of Penn Mar Avenue, El Monte police Detective Ralph Batres said.
The vendor, a South El Monte man in his 30s, suffered a grazing wound to his head and was expected to survive at an area hospital, the detective said.
The suspects, both described as Latino men that looked like gang members, passed by the vendor in a tan, four-door Honda Accord and made a U-turn prior to the attack, Batres said.
The passenger, a man in his 20s wearing brown shorts and no shirt, got out of the car and tried to rob the vendor, he said.
The vendor took of his belt in an attempt to use it as a weapon to defend himself when the attacker pulled a handgun and shot the vendor once in the head, Batres said.
The shooter briefly chased the wounded man down the street before returning to the Honda and fleeing with driver, he added.
"This happened in broad daylight," Batres said. "Hopefully somebody took down a license plate or a partial license plate."
Anyone with information is asked to call Batres at (626) 705-1981, or the El Monte Police Department at (626) 580-2100.

Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Press Release:

LOS ANGELES - Jurors today convicted a 56-year-old man charged with the 1999 murder of an armored car courier and the killing of a restaurant owner about a year and half later.

Ignacio Cervantes Chavez was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. Jurors found true special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder while lying in wait, murder in the commission of a robbery and burglary and murder with a previous first-degree murder conviction.

Additionally, jurors found true allegations that a principal was armed with a firearm in the Jan. 14, 1999 killing of Eleazar Jaramillo, an armored car courier gunned down in Vernon, and that the defendant personally used a firearm in the May 15, 2000 slaying of Olivia de la Torre, owner of La Guadalupana in Pasadena.

The penalty phase of the case, at which time jurors will decide whether to recommend the death penalty, is due to begin on May 12.

Jurors deliberated for eight days before returning the guilty verdicts, said Deputy District Attorney Ana Lopez of the Pasadena Branch Office, who prosecuted the case.

Ramon Cervantes Chavez, 47, the defendant's brother, is the alleged triggerman in the Jaramillo slaying. Ignacio was the getaway driver, prosecutors said. The case against Ramon is pending.

Victim de la Torre was shot three times in the head by an unidentified co-conspirator whom Chavez aided in the robbery.

Both brothers are already serving life prison terms for the 2000 killing a bystander during a shootout with an armored car guard in Van Nuys.

Reporter Nathan McIntire writes:

John Floyd Thomas Jr., the alleged Westside Rapist, does not appear to match the descriptions of any suspects from decades-old cold cases but the Pasadena Police Department is reviewing DNA evidence just to be sure.

Thomas was arrested earlier this month in connection with two Los Angeles killings and is now a suspect in more than two dozen other open cases. He was arrested on suspicion of raping a 78-year-old Pasadena woman in 1978 but was later convicted of lesser charges.
Thomas's DNA was found at a total of three other crime scenes in West Los Angeles in the 1970s and Claremont in the 1980s, according to authorities.

Pasadena Police compared Thomas' description to several open rape and murder cases from the 1970s and 80s but he does not match the description of any suspects, Lt. John Dewar said.

AZUSA -- A 14-year-old Azusa boy suffered major injuries Thursday when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding his skateboard, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. in the 18400 block of Fondale Street in an unincorporated county area near Azusa, California Highway Patrol Officer N. Fulgencio said in a written statement.
The boy was riding his skateboard in the street when he was struck by a black late 1990's Ford F-150 pickup truck, Fulgencio said.
The boy suffered major injuries, including a broken ankle, he said. The driver and a passenger drove away during the commotion that followed the crash.
The truck was last seen heading east on Fondale Street, Fulgencio added.
The driver was described as a Latino man in his late-40s, of medium build, with short dark hair and a mustache, Fulgencio said. The passenger was a Latino woman, also in her late-40s, of heavy build, with black hair in a pony tail.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Baldwin Park Office of the California Highway Patrol at (626) 338-1164.

They also want to find little Briant Rodriguez, kidnapped from his home in San Bernardino this week.

Here's the bureau's Facebook page. One can only wonder what J Edgar would have thought about this technology ... Below, the FBI (as I remember it)

I loved the 100+ point headline in LA Opinion this morning, and the paper's overall treatment of the Manny Ramirez positive drug test. Most times, the English language blogs in our county overlook the contributions of the region's lively Spanish and Asian language newspapers.

Fortunately there's Google translate. Here's what the few grafs of LA Opinion's story have to say this morning:

At first sight, and feel the Dodger Stadium seemed to be a branch of hell.

In the midst of a temperature exceeding 90 degrees, the high command of the Dodgers called a rare news conference on an inclement sun.

It was a cold and warm concern to disseminate the news as a bomb fell in Los Angeles.

Manny Ramírez, the man who loaded the team on his shoulders since his arrival at the end of last season, tested positive in doping analysis. Supposedly, Ramirez used Ganodotropina human chorionic (HCG). It is prescribed to stimulate fertility in women and testosterone production in men.

However, Ramirez argued that the real responsibility for what happened was a prescribed medicine that the doctor recently.

The best toletero right of Major League was suspended for 50 games and began yesterday to meet his doom.

Dodgers (Dodgers) won the first set of six points, but unable to stop in the last three nationals (Nationals) counterattack, very this year, the first home defeat。 Dodge has just hit the night before the opening quarter of 13 straight major league home record, this was cut.

（Manny Ramirez）。 Manny Ramirez hit strong (Manny Ramirez) the use of drugs, starting from the day of suspension 50。 Manager Torre (Joe Torre) convened a closed-door meeting of players and coaches to deploy. （Andre Ethier）  one was sent after against the base. (James Loney) added immediately a hit, scored the first points for the Dodgers. （Matt Kamp。 Camp (Matt Kamp) timely home run ball hit the right wall, hit a grand slam from red.

The FBI has released this photograph of a man who robbed a Downey Savings branch in San Dimas on Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

SAN DIMAS - A robber claiming to have a handgun stole cash from a bank branch inside a supermarket Wednesday.

The crime was reported about 11:30 a.m. at a Downey Savings branch inside Albertsons, 220 E. Bonita Avenue.

The robber was described as a Latino man between 25 and 30 years old, standing about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 250 pounds, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Craig Boyett said. He wore a black t-shirt, blue jeans and a black backpack.

After demanding cash from a teller, the robber fled in a red, early-model Chevy Cavalier, the lieutenant said.

He claimed to have a handgun, but one was not seen, he said.

The robbery is being investigated by the FBI, Boyett said.

EL MONTE -- A man arrested on suspicion of three armed robberies in South El Monte and El Monte admitted involvement in four additional robberies in El Monte, Baldwin Park and Azusa, authorities said Thursday.
Fernando Uranga Sanchez, a 40-year-old transient from the South El Monte area, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of robbing two markets in South El Monte and one market in El Monte last month, El Monte police Lt. Detective Ralph Batres said.
Following his arrest, Uranga admitted robbing two additional El Monte businesses as well as businesses in Baldwin Park and Azusa in crimes that date back to February, Batres said.
He is expected to be charged Friday with five counts of robbery stemming from the El Monte and South El Monte incidents, Batres said.
The Azusa and Baldwin Park incidents remain under investigation, he added.
Sanchez was being held in lieu of $300,000 bail Thursday, Batres said, however his bail will likely be increased to $500,000 after Friday's court appearance.
Police are still seeking a possible accomplice in some of the robberies, who is described as a Latino man in his 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing about 175 pounds and wearing a blue and white sweat shirt, Batres said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the El Monte Police Department.

From the Associated Press:

Death Valley National Park --  Barker Ranch, a California desert cabin that was Charles Manson's last hideout, has been gutted by fire.

Death Valley National Park spokesman Terry Baldino said Thursday that the isolated cabin was discovered burned on Tuesday.

He says it's not known if it was an accident or a deliberate act.

The cabin was last seen intact last Friday and may have burned over the weekend.

Manson and his followers hid at the cabin after killing actress Sharon Tate and seven others in the summer of 1969. He was arrested there that fall and is serving a life sentence.

Some of Crime Scene's previous Manson stories are here.

 

A possible centerpiece for tomorrow's paper might look like this ... (thanks to our graphic design team of Andrew Landeros and Manny Amaya)

A source close to Dodger slugger Manny Ramirez said the banned substance Manny Ramirez tested positive for was Viagra. *UPDATE: Yahoo reports it wasn't Viagra, but another "sexual enhancement" drug:

LOS ANGELES - A source close to Manny Ramirez(notes) said Thursday that the illegal substance for which the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger tested positive was not "an agent customarily used for performance enhancing."

At least not on the baseball diamond. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the substance is supposed to boost sex drive. It is not Viagra, but a substance that treats the cause rather providing a temporary boost in sexual performance, the source said.

Ramirez tested positive for the substance during spring training, then was administered a second test more recently, and it also was positive. Major League Baseball notified Ramirez of the second positive test after Wednesday night's Dodgers victory over the Washington Nationals. Ramirez admitted to having taken the substance and declined to appeal. His 50-game suspension begins today.

"The substance is not a steroid and it is not human-growth hormone," the source said.

Ramirez, the source said, acquired the substance through a prescription from a doctor in Miami for his medical condition. The source intimated that Ramirez might bring legal action against the physician.

Dodger slugger Manny Ramirez will be suspended for 50 games, according to the Los Angeles Times this morning. Ramirez reportedly tested positive for a performance enhancing drug.

Here's the Times story:

Manny Ramirez has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and will be suspended 50 games starting today, The Times has learned.

The test result and suspension is expected to be announced later today.

 

LOS ANGELES -- Major League Baseball will suspend Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez for 50 games for use of performance enhancing drugs, sources told MLB.com on Thursday.

Major League Baseball has not yet made an official announcement.

Ramirez, who turns 37 on May 30, would be eligible to return July 3 if the suspension starts with Thursday night's Dodgers-Nationals game.

Ramirez -- an 12-time All-Star who immediately became the face of the Dodgers franchise upon his acquisition last summer -- is the biggest name player to be issued such a suspension under the MLB's stringent drug policy that was adopted in 2006.

According to the drug policy, a player receives a 50-game suspension for a first positive drug test, a 100-game suspension for a second positive test and a lifetime ban for a third positive test. The suspensions are without pay.

Ramirez re-signed with the Dodgers as a free agent this spring to a two-year contract that was to pay him $25 million.

Ramirez has been a key component in leading the Dodgers to the best record in baseball this year. In 27 games, he is batting .348 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. He is among league leaders in slugging and on-base percentage and has become the biggest drawing card the Dodgers have had since Fernando Valenzuela, even recently having a portion of the left-field box seats rechristened "Mannywood."

 

Moe the Chimp and Octomom have something in common.

No. The pair is not headlining with the Amazing Bearded Lady and the Human Pin Cushion outside the pig races at a county fair somewhere.

They are part of what's driving a huge change in local reporting around the country.

On the Internet, tales of Moe's escape from a San Bernardino animal sanctuary last summer drove eyeballs to our Web site in amazing numbers. As a result we continued to cover the saga until it became clear Moe was no more.

As for Nadya Suleman, the La Habra woman who gave birth to the world's longest-surviving set of octuplets, not only is she a one-woman baby machine, she is also is a force of nature on the Internet.

Our blog, Octorazzi, dedicated to Octomom's every move, has seen so much Web traffic, it even drew attention from CNN's Nancy Grace over the weekend.

We editors sit in our ivory tower, stroking our beards and discussing what we believe you want in the newspaper: The economy, swine flu, and city council skullduggery.

Sometimes it's the sort of steady community-oriented coverage that afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted. Sometimes its nothing more than a story about the local Lions Club doing something nice for a blind senior.

Online you tell us you want Octomom, Moe, crime, crime and more crime.

In fact, most of this is journalism in the same way McDonald's is food. It's empty, tasteless and devoid of nutritional value.

The U.S. Senate took up a discussion of the future of newspaper journalism Wednesday. During a lengthy hearing before the Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee, Sen. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, called us "challenged."

We are in fact challenged.

Unfortunately, those challenges extend well beyond Octomom and Moe. Twitter, Facebook and Google News are all perceived as threats to traditional newspapers.

"You are whistling past the graveyard if you don't believe that's the wave of the future," said one participant in the hearing.

Others taking part in Wednesday's hearing included David Simon, a former Baltimore Sun cops reporter, who created "The Wire" for HBO and Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post.

Simon rightly pointed out that "citizen journalists" (read bloggers) will never be able to do the sort of investigative journalism that remains the hallmark of newspapers. Huffington, on the other hand, defended her blog and the citizen journalists who contribute as the absolute future of reporting.

"The day I run into a Huffington Post reporter at a Baltimore zoning board hearing is the day I believe we will have reached equilibrium."

C-SPAN, which streamed the hearing live on the Internet, subtitled their video "Hearing to Examine the Future of Journalism."

I guess there's hope. Neither Moe nor Octomom were called upon to give an opinion.

From reporter Daniel Tedford:

LA VERNE - A bear that wandered into a residential neighborhood in La Verne has been darted and it is expected to be returned to the wild, officials at the California Department of Fish and Game said.

La Verne police started receiving calls around 11 a.m. Wednesday about a bear that had come to the neighborhood in the area of Fox Glen Avenue.

Officials darted the bear at about 1:15 and not many details are yet known. The only bears now living in California are the American Black Bear, but they do change colors seasonally, said Fish and Game spokesman Harry Morse.

As seen on Twitter:

Not sure it would help turnout, but it is an interesting idea on the surface.

This from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta:

The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.

This from WHO:

As of 06:00 GMT, 6 May 2009, 22 countries have officially reported 1516 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.
Mexico has reported 822 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 29 deaths. The United States has reported 403 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.
The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (165), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (4), Germany (9), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (5), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (6), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (2), Spain (57), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (27).

Since he can't control the state legislature, Gov Arnold wants to change the subject. According the the SF Chronicle, Schwarzenegger thinks the time is right to talk about legalizing marijuana.

Are steroids next? (H/T LAO)

The governor said California should look to the experiences of other nations around the world in relaxing laws on marijuana.

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, has introduced a bill to regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21 years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis - all of which are barred by federal law.

Officers shot and seriously a man who reportedly tried to run them over near the Wal-Mart in Baldwin Park, officials reported Tuesday.

This from the Associated Press:

The White House on Monday expressed "concern" and "sadness" over the state of the ailing US newspaper industry, but made clear that a government bailout was not in the cards.

"I don't know what, in all honesty, government can do about it," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters. "That might be a bit of a tricky area to get into given the differing roles."

Gibbs was responding to a reporter who asked what the White House thought about the recent closure of several US newspapers and a threat to shut down the venerable Boston Globe.

"Obviously (President Barack Obama) believes there has to be a strong free press," the spokesman said. "I think there's a certain concern and a certain sadness when you see cities losing their newspapers or regions of the country losing their newspapers."

Who didn't laugh like hell when this flick came out featuring Dom DeLuise as Capt. Chaos? object width="480" height="385">

Looks like thefcblog, which had recently become a narrowly focused look at Monrovia politics and pro tax rants has died again.

From find.thegrimsleeper.com:

Until his April 2 arrest, John Floyd Thomas Jr was a Los Angeles insurance adjuster. Police now call him the "Southland Strangler" -- named for the geographical section of Los Angeles County where they suspect he killed at least 30 women and raped many more. Thomas is also in the frame for a spate of crimes police say were committed by the "Westside Rapist".

On first glance this suspect doesn't fit the profile of the Grim Sleeper. Reports suggest he targets much older females who live alone and are white. This is a direct opposite of the Grim Sleeper's known victims - young and black. However there are some striking similarities that are worth mentioning.

Many of Thomas' victims were strangled and beaten and at least one victim was killed in a location other than her home which suggests Thomas' MO is markedly varied. The LA times is quoted as saying "On the 17 who were killed, he placed pillows or blankets over their faces." This is also a signature of the Grim Sleeper who is known to have placed items over the faces of some of his victims.

.Perhaps one of the most startling similarities is the time span and 'gaps' that separate Thomas' crimes. The first wave of slayings took place in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. There followed a decade of 'Sleep?' until 1983 when Thomas was released from prison. He committed rape and murder over the next 6 years until 1989.

The site also has an interesting map, developed with the help of a profiler who notes that

"the Grim Sleeper attacks women within one mile from his home, and works to blend into the neighborhood."

Here's the map:

- Detectives are asking for the public's help in identifying the man who broke into a condo Friday then robbed and raped an 82-year-old woman who is legally blind.

A composite was also released of the suspect who got away with an undisclosed amount.

The home-invasion robbery and rape happened at 5:30 a.m. May 1 at a complex in the 13900 block of Bayside Drive.

The suspect broke a window of one condo and forced his way in. Deputies said he ransacked the place looking for money.

Lt. John Gannon said the resident heard a noise, went downstairs and was confronted by a man who demanded money.

The robber wanted cash and wasn't interested in credit cards, Gannon said.

A thief drove off in a truck with an extended cherry picker, seriously injuring a worker fixing a cable line, police said. 

PASADENA - A man attempted to steal a Charter Communications truck while a Charter employee was 30 feet above in the vehicle's crane basket fixing a cable line, police said. 

The Charter employee was hurled from the basket when the suspect drove away in the vehicle, police said. The basket hit a tree, severing the boom from the vehicle and launching the basket and its occupant to the ground, said Sgt. Pete Hettema. 

The victim sustained massive injuries and is in serious condition, Hettema said. 

The suspect initially approached another Charter employee who was on the ground during the cable repair project at about 2 a.m. Tuesday near Washington Boulevard and El Sereno Avenue, Hettema said. The suspect asked to use the man's cell phone and soon after jumped into the truck's cab and took off, Hettema said. 

He drove about a block before striking the tree that flung the other charter employee to the street. He kept driving, severing a number of trees and cable lines before he was stopped by police nearly four blocks later, Hettema said. 

Police are still investigating the incident and have not yet released the suspect's name. 

Somewhere in the past decade I gave up on professional baseball.

I don't know if it was the meatheaded, ill-mannered, less-than-likeable ignoramuses who play the game, or the idiotic commissioner who turned a blind-eye to rampant steroid abuse.

Of course Commissioner Bud Selig had his reasons for ignoring the stench coming from diamonds and clubhouses around the country. The game needed more fans to fill the cheap seats. What better way to get them there than a season-long home run derby between a couple of pimply pin-headed suspected 'roid rangers?

As the list of suspected steroid abusers inflated, the list of suspect statistics simply grew.

The game had died.

So did the little boy in me who would grab the sports section every morning to peruse box scores and standings and devour game stories, notebooks and features about the game.

The kid who once bought baseball cards for his kids would just as soon buy them serial killer trading cards, which meant never.

Why contribute to the farce? I thought. Why make my kids believe jocks in pinstripes and sanitary socks are any more heroic than hack politicians or convicted Wall Street money changers?

Something happened Friday night that forced me to re-evaluate my hard-line stance.

It started with being hungry.

I left work early and fell asleep about 5:30 p.m.

I woke up about 9 p.m. and went to the kitchen to make something to eat. Standing there debating Top Ramen or fried eggs, I heard Vin Scully's lilting up-and-down cadence describe a bottom of the ninth, two-out, 0-0 tie and a walk to Matt Kemp that loaded the bases.

I looked over and saw the kid in the next room watching the game. He was buying into the Dodgers, perhaps because of Scully's magnificent call; certainly because of the situation.

Listening to Scully call the next 10 pitches to Russell Martin, I was hooked too. After running the count up to 3-2, Martin drew a bases-loaded walk that sealed a win for the Dodgers and highlighted a weekend for the Blue Crew that has kept the team unbeaten at Dodger Stadium so far this season.

Although I had considered plunking down $49.99 to buy the Pacquiao-Hatton fight Saturday night, Vin talked me out of it. I watched the Dodgers instead, and again marveled at the smoothness of Scully's voice and perfection of his call at the end of a 10-inning game.

I guess he should have it down, after all, Vinny's been doing this for 60 years.

He's not a homer, he doesn't give his opinions and it's amazing to hear him call play-by-play, sometimes without saying anything at all. Even his pitch for Farmer John ("Easternmost in quality, Westernmost in flavor") has flair.

Turns out there's a grass-roots call to get Vin Scully named the Grand Marshal of this year's Tournament of Roses Parade.

The theme?

"A Cut Above the Rest."

Need I say more?

From TMZ

Danny Gans died early this morning, after a family member called 911 to say Danny was having trouble breathing. By the time paramedics arrived, he was dead.

A ticket rep at Steve Wynn's Encore hotel tells us they just got the call and the entire staff is "shocked and upset."

Gans is a legend in Las Vegas -- the self described "musical impressionist" signed a $150 million contract in 2000. 

We're told Gans died at 3:00 AM at his home in Vegas. There are reports his wife discovered his body and called for help. 

Gans was named "Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year" a record 11-times in a row. He did not perform last night.

Besides being a gifted entertainer, Gans was a pretty good athlete -- in fact, he was drafted by the KC Royals out of high school and played minor league ball.

UPDATE: TMZ has learned a 911 call was made by a family member at 3:44 AM for a 52-year-old man who was "having trouble breathing." By the time medics arrived, Gans had already passed away.

The LA Times follow up on the John Floyd Thomas arrest contains a summary paragraph that pretty much says it all:

DNA leads detectives to John Thomas Jr., 72. He is held in two slayings, but police suspect he may have killed up to 30 elderly Westside and Claremont women a decade apart.

The story also contains some interesting background including a tidbit about Thomas' job as an insurance adjuster in Glendale:

Thomas had been working as an adjuster handling workers' compensation claims since 1989 -- the year the killings stopped. He resigned after his arrest March 31.

Jennifer Vargen, a spokeswoman for the State Compensation Insurance Fund, would not comment on whether the employer was aware of Thomas' criminal record, saying it was a personnel matter.

Co-workers at his office in Glendale described Thomas as quiet but friendly. They said his job mostly involved paperwork.

His steady employment masked a troubled past.

Thomas was born in Los Angeles. His mother died when he was 12 and he was raised by his aunt and a godmother. Thomas attended public schools, including Manual Arts Senior High School.

He briefly joined the U.S. Air Force in 1956. At Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, a superior described Thomas as often late and slovenly. He received a dishonorable discharge, according to his military records, and was arrested for burglary and attempted rape in Los Angeles. He was convicted and sentenced to six years in state prison in 1957. Two parole violations sent him back behind bars until 1966.

Meanwhile Pasadena Police are cracking what cold case files they may have left, according PD spokeswoman Janet Pope Givens:

Since Thomas had a prior arrest in Pasadena, detectives are looking into whether any unsolved cases may fit the same description.

"The cold case unit is taking a look at it in terms of some of the other unsolved homicides that may have taken place prior to and after, to see if there is any relation," said Police Department Spokesperson Janet Pope Givens.

Specifically, they are looking into cases involving women who were killed around that time period.

Thomas was originally arrested in Pasadena in 1978 on suspicion of rape, but was convicted of lesser charges, she said.

The file on his arrest, which is more than 30 years old, is no longer available, she said.