Update from DA’s office in Lily Burk homicide case

This advisory just in from the District Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles:

Prosecutors are evaluating evidence now against Charles Samuel, suspect in the murder of 17-year-old Lily Burk. Samuel is due to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court Department 30, fifth floor, Criminal Justice Center, after 1:30 p.m. today. The District Attorney’s Media Relations Division will keep you updated on further developments.

In another case of interest, James Che Ming Lu, 85, was charged a few minutes ago with murdering his wife. Lu is scheduled to appear for arraignment after 1:30 p.m. in Alhambra Superior Court, Department 5, 150 W. Commonwealth Ave., Alhambra. The case number is GA077455. He is charged with one count of murder and one of attempted murder.

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Another take on the slaying of Lily Burk

Celeste Fremon over at Witness LA, takes apart local coverage of the Lily Burk homicide, and breaks down the criminal history of suspect Charlie Samuel, a 50-year-old transient charged in the slaying.

Her blog entry doesn’t appear to be a defense of Samuel, but it sure castigates the local media for sensationalizing the suspect’s criminal past.
Others blogging the case include:
The Times put together an interesting story published today headlined “Collision of two LA worlds
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Michael Jackson homicide probe continues in Las Vegas

This from LA NOW:

Law enforcement officials served search warrants this morning at the Las Vegas home and medical office of Dr. Conrad Murray, the target of a manslaughter investigation into Michael Jackson’s death.
Michael Flanagan, assistant special agent in charge of the Las Vegas office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, confirmed that both searches began about 9 a.m. Authorities said they were looking for documents, which typically include computer searches, but provided few other details. The search warrants are sealed, Flanagan said.
Local TV stations showed footage of officials going into the Red Rock Country Club area of Las Vegas, where Murray owns a home. It was unclear whether the physician was there. At his medical office, Global Cardiovascular Associates, a couple of people were present, but declined to say if the office was open for patients.
The Las Vegas searches come less than a week after the DEA, Houston police narcotics officers and Los Angeles police detectives searched Murray’s clinic and a storage unit. In those searches, they seized e-mails, storage unit receipts, a copy of Murray’s biography and Rolodex cards, according to the inventory of items filed with the Harris County District Court

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The Temple City case — bribery, perjury, money laundering and drug dealing

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If politics disgusts you, read no further. 

If you are interested in how a corrupt government really works, here’s an instructive timeline put together by Alfred Lee and based on a grand jury probe of shenanigans in Temple City.  

We’ve put together a special section detailing what those reports entail, it’s here.
At right — former Mayor –still councilwoman Judy Wong..
As for the timeline… which includes allegations of bribery, perjury, money laundering and drug dealing, it’s on the jump …

Continue reading “The Temple City case — bribery, perjury, money laundering and drug dealing” »

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Man stabbed at party in Whittier

WHITTIER — A young man is expected to survive after he was stabbed in the torso and face during a fight at a party early Sunday, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 1:30 a.m. at a pool party at a house on Deveron Drive, near Ben Alder Avenue, Whittier police Sgt. Terry McAllister said.
The attacker was described as a Latino, between 17 and 23 years old, about 5 feet 4 inches tall and about 120 pounds, the sergeant said.
He apparently became angry when he believed another young man at the party was staring at his girlfriend and punched him, McAllister said.
As friends of the man who was punched came to his aid, the attacker struck one of the friends in the head with a beer bottle, he said.
As the partygoers tried to force the violent guest out of the home, he stabbed a third young man, 20, in the face and torso about four times before fleeing with his pregnant girlfriend. The weapon may have been a broken beer bottle.
The suspect was not in custody Friday, but McAllister said he believed an arrest was imminent.

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Elderly man allegedly kills wife with hatchet

PASADENA — A man allegedly stabbed his wife to death with a hatchet early Sunday, then called authorities to report it, officials said.
James Lu, 85, was booked on suspicion of murder, said Lt. Dan Rosenberg of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau, which is investigating the case.
Los Angeles County coroner’s officials identified the dead woman as 55-year-old Michelle Lu.
The incident was reported about 1:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Rosemead Boulevard, in an unincorporated county area near Pasadena.
“(James Lu) called the (sheriff’s) Temple Station indicating he had injured his wife,” Rosenberg said. “They responded and found her deceased inside their home.”
James Lu surrendered himself to deputies, and the hatchet was recovered, Rosenberg said.
A specific motive in the slaying was not clear Sunday, but authorities said it was a domestic issue.
Rosenberg added that detectives do not believe James Lu was acting out of dementia or confusion, and he did not appear to have a history of violence.
“We think he knew what he was doing,” he said. “It’s a pretty sad situation for everyone.”
News reports indicated the couple’s son may have been home when the slaying occurred, and may have grabbed the hatchet from his father. Rosenberg said he could not confirm those details.
No one appeared to be home Sunday afternoon at the Lu residence — a single-story home that sits behind a psychic reader business.
Claudia Loera, 12, who lives nearby translated for family members, who remembered James Lu as a kind person.
Loera said her parents knew James Lu for about 30 years, and were shocked to learn of the killing, and the alleged confessed.
“Everyone’s surprised … Everybody he used to pass, he used to say ‘Hi,'” she said.
According to court records, James Lu was being held without bail and is due for arraignment in Humbler Superior Court on Tuesday.

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Woman sought in Azusa stabbing

AZUSA — Police sought a woman Sunday suspected of stabbing her boyfriend several times in the back during an argument, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before midnight Friday in the 1100 block of Arrow Highway, Azusa police Lt. Steve Hunt said.
The woman’s name was not released pending further investigation, and she had not been arrested Sunday, Azusa police Sgt. Sam Fleming said. She is 30 years old.
The woman was drinking with her boyfriend and his cousin at an apartment complex when the couple began arguing and the woman allegedly stabbed her boyfriend several times in the lower back, Hunt said.
The wounded man, a 23-year-old Baldwin Park resident, was hospitalized in stable condition, officials added.
The woman fled the scene before police arrived, Hunt added.

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Man shot to death in Baldwin Park

BALDWIN PARK — A man was shot to death inside his car early Sunday in a residential neighborhood, authorities said.
Officials initially described the dead man only as a Latino in his 20s believed to be from Baldwin Park. His name was withheld pending notification of family members, coroner officials said.
The shooting was reported about 6 a.m. as a car crash in the 3700 block of Foster Avenue, just south of Ramona Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Derrick Thompson said in a written statement.
Officials received reports of “an individual that was believed to be involved in a traffic accident deceased inside a car,” said Lt. Dan Rosenberg of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said, which is investigating the case. “Responding Baldwin Park police officers found he had been shot.”
Detectives believe the man crashed his car after being shot multiple times in the back.
Suspect information and a motive in the shooting was not known, Rosenberg said.
Several residents on Foster Avenue said Sunday afternoon they heard a loud crash in the morning, but no gun shots.
“I was sleeping and I just heard a big impact,” said Jun Catap. “As soon as I heard that, I opened the door and saw the car crashed into the (telephone) pole.”
Crews from Southern California Edison worked through Sunday evening to repair the damaged pole.
Jesus Costilla, who also lives on Foster Avenue, said he watched police pick up about five bullet casings from nearby the victim’s car.
“It’s just kind of weird though,” Costilla said, “because no one heard any gun shots.”

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Men convicted of Covina murder

COVINA — A jury convicted two men Friday for fatally shooting a Covina man last year, authorities said.
Jeremy Michael Vindiola, 24, of West Covina and Wilson Omar Alfaro, 27, of Fontana were found guilty in the June 17, 2008 shooting death of 23-year-old Edward Galvan, Covina police Sgt. Trevor Gaumer said in a written statement.
“The jury deliberated for approximately three hours and found both Vindiola and Alfaro guilty of first-degree murder,” the statement said.
The men allegedly shot and killed Galvan as he gathered with several other people in front of an apartment building in the 100 block of North Vecino Drive.
Authorities believed both the suspects and victim had gang ties, though family members of Galvan denied he was involved with gangs.
Vindiola was captured eleven days after the shooting as he got into a parked car in Covina, Gaumer said.
A multi-agency task force arrested Alfaro at an auto dealership in Montclair a few weeks later, he added.
A third suspect, a 19-year-old West Covina man, was initially arrested in connection with the slaying but later released after officials declined to file charges against him, authorities said.
Both Vindiola and Alfaro face the possibility of life in prison when they’re sentenced in August, officials said.

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Man shot to death in Pomona

POMONA – A local man died at the scene of a shooting just before midnight Friday, police said.
Emilio Moncayo, 34, was fatally wounded in the shooting, which was reported at 11:59 p.m. in the 500 block of East McKinley Avenue, Pomona police said in a written statement.
Officers responding to calls reporting a possible shooting and found Moncayo apparently shot to death.
No further details were released Saturday.

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