February 2011 Archives
ARCADIA -- The body of a woman was found at Arcadia County Park Sunday, though foul play was not initially suspected.
The woman's name was not released pending positive identification and notification of family members, officials said. She appeared to be a transient.
Arcadia police notified sheriff's deputies, who patrol county parks, that a woman was being looked at by paramedics by the water fountain in the park, 405 South Santa Anita Ave., Capt. Michael Parker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Headquarter's Bureau said.
A woman estimated to be in her mid- to late-30s was found slumped on a park bench near the park's fountain and pronounced dead at the scene, Parker said.
The death appeared to be natural, however the cause of death will be determined through a coroner's investigation, Parker said.
"There were no signs of foul play," he added.
Thee partially empty bottles of vodka were found near the body, Parker said.
It was not clear how long the woman's body had been on the bench, but because the park is heavily trafficked on Sundays, authorities said it was unlikely she had been there for very long.
PASADENA -- Two robbed pushed a woman down and stole her purse Sunday, authorities said.
A woman was walking to work about 11:10 a.m. at Orange Grove Boulevard and Cypress Avenue when a white car approached and a passenger jumped out, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
The passenger pushed the woman to the ground, grabbed her purse and jumped back into the car, which sped away, he said. The woman was not hospitalized.
The driver and passenger in the car were initially described only as black and male.
PASADENA -- Two teens used a handgun to rob a corner store Sunday, police said.
The crime took place just before noon at the Latin American Market, at Villa Street and Mar Vista Avenue, Pasadena police Lt Chris Russ said.
The robbers entered the store with a handgun, and fled in a white car, possibly a 4-door sedan, after the robbery, the lieutenant said.
One robber was described as a black teenage boy in a black T-shirt, and the other was a Latino teenage boy wearing a white T-shirt, police added.
No injuries were reported.
SOUTH PASADENA -- Two South Pasadena men are behind bars on suspicion of robbing a man in Temple City who was trying to buy an iPhone through Craigslist.com earlier this month, authorities said Sunday.
Daniel So, 19, and Garret Helstrom, 20, were booked on suspicion of armed robbery Friday after being arrested near So's home, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
The robbery was reported about 3 p.m. on Feb. 19 in a parking lot behind a fast-food restaurant in the 9400 block of Las Tunas Drive in Temple City, sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Walker said.
The man had arranged to meet someone via the website Craigslist.com to buy an iPhone for $500 and met So in the parking lot to do the transaction, Walker said.
Instead of an iPhone, the So pulled a gun and demanded the man's money, officials said. The man fled after turning over his cash and was unhurt.
Sheriff's investigators identified So as a suspect in the robbery, went to his South Pasadena home Friday and watched as So got into a car with another man, later identified as Helstrom.
Deputies pulled over the car and arrested So, according to the sheriff's statement.
When deputies found a handgun replica and what appeared to be stolen property in the car, officials said, Helstrom was also arrested for assisting in the robbery.
According to sheriff's booking records, So and Helstrom were being held in lieu of $100,000 bail each at the sheriff's Temple Station.
Detectives are looking into the possibility the men may be responsible for other similar crimes, and anyone who's been a victim of a similar robbery is asked to call their local police or sheriff's station.
WHITTIER -- Police sought a gunman late Saturday who shot a man to death in the courtyard of the apartment complex where he lived.
The shooting took place about 8:45 p.m. at an apartment complex on Painter Avenue, just south of Lambert Road, Whittier police officials said.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting and found a man lying in the courtyard of the apartment complex, suffering from gunshot wounds, a sergeant said. He died at the scene.
Police initially described the shooter only as male and Latino, and he was last seen fleeing the area on foot.
The victim's two young children who were inside their apartment at the time of the shooting were safe at the Whittier police station with their mother, who was at work when the shooting occurred, officials said.
A motive in the slaying was not clear.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY -- Being locked up behind bars is apparently not stopping some criminals from victimizing innocent members of the public, authorities said.
Los Angeles County sheriff's officials warned the public Saturday to be ware of jail inmates who have been tricking people into paying for collect and long distance calls.
By conning unsuspecting victims into dialing *72, followed by a phone number being used by the inmate, inmates have been able to have collect and long distance phone calls forwarded to their own phones at the victims' expense, sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
"The increasing pattern was noticed by deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who have been receiving an increasing number of phone calls from people who have been scammed," officials said.
In the scam, an inmate calls a victim pretending to be a sheriff's deputy, officials said.
The imposter then claims that a family member of the person has been arrested or in an accident, and that the victim was listed as an emergency contact.
The inmate then instructs the victim to call *72, and then a phone number, for more information.
Upon calling the number, the victim is told they have the wrong number.
With many phone carriers, dialing "*72" with a phone number causes calls to be forwarded from your phone to the phone number entered afterward, investigators said.
If it goes unnoticed, the inmates can build up costly phone bills by taking their via forwarding from a victim's phone number.
"Do not dial *72 unless you want to forward your calls," according to the sheriff's statement.
In addition to sheriff's officials, the California Public Utilities Commission has also issued a warning about the scam.
The commission and sheriff's officials advised those who have been received the scam calls to immediately cancel call forwarding services on their phone lines and dispute the charges with their phone company.
The calls can be reported on the California Public Utilities Commission's consumer hotline at 800-649-7570.
SANTA FE SPRINGS -- Three men fled the scene of a car crash on foot Friday, and two of them fled into a sewer to hide from police, authorities said.
The crash was reported about 3 p.m. at Carmenita Road and Orden Drive, Whittier police Lt. Randy Inman said.
A woman suffered minor injuries in the crash but was not hospitalized, he said.
Three men were inside the other car, an older-model Buick Regal, the lieutenant said.
One man was taken into custody near the car, Inman said, while two others ran away and fled into a nearby drainage ditch.
Officers were able to find one man inside the sewer, however the third suspect remained at large, he said.
Inside the Buick, police found women's purses and other items that appeared to be stolen, Inman added. Police continued looking into where those items came from.
The suspect's names were not available late Friday pending booking, Inman said.
PICO RIVERA -- A gang member received a sentenced of 50 years to life in prison Friday for shooting a 17-year-old Pico Rivera boy in 2009, authorities said.
Edward Ortega, 23, was convicted along with Dennis Flores, 20, in February in of murdering Erick Roche Jr. on Nov. 19, 2009. The jury also found true the special allegation that killing was carried out for the benefit of a criminal street gang -- Rivera 13.
The men confronted Roche at the entrance to an alley in the 6400 block of Rosemead Boulevard in Pico Rivera and asked him what gang he was affiliated with, a homicide detective testified during court proceeding.
When the teen replied that he was not in a gang, Ortega fired twice, killing Roche, officials said.
Flores is due back in Norwalk Superior Court to be sentenced for his role in the killing March 4, court officials said.
SANTA FE SPRINGS -- Police Thursday arrested a longtime suspect in the stabbing death of a 19-year-old Santa Fe Springs woman found fatally stabbed inside an apartment in late 2009.
Manuel Duron, 28, was booked on suspicion of murdering his then-girlfriend, Crystal Coronel, Dec. 21, 2009, in an apartment in the 8200 block of Santa Fe Springs Road, Whittier police spokesman Officer Mike Dekowski said.
Whittier police initially jailed Duron the day after Coronel's body was discovered stabbed to death, however he was released after prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence for a case.
After further review, Dekowski said, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office determined a a murder charge was warranted.
On Thursday, "Our detectives received information on his whereabouts," Dekowski said.
He was arrested at a Home Depot store in Anaheim, where he was looking for work, without incident, he said.
Dekowski said investigators were eager to bring justice to Coronel's killer.
"We want to bring the family some closure," he said.
Coronel's mother declined to comment Friday.
According to sheriff's booking records, Duron was being held in lieu of $1 million bail and was due for arraignment Monday in Whittier Superior Court.
SOUTH PASADENA -- Police booked and released a former Blair High School teacher Thursday on suspicion of inviting current and former students to his home to drink alcohol, authorities said.
David Lyman, 66, was booked on suspicion of furnishing alcohol to minors and released on his own recognizance, South Pasadena Police Department officials said in a written statement.
He retired from his position as a special education teacher at the Pasadena Unified School District high school Feb. 1 in the midst of an internal internal district investigation, PUSD officials said.
"The Pasadena Unified School District contacted SPPD last month after their internal investigation revealed current and former Blair students were visiting Lyman's South Pasadena home in the 1700 block of Oxley Street, where Lyman was furnishing alcohol to them and allowing them to view pornography on his computer," according to the police statement.
After interviewing students and presenting the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for review, an arrest warrant was issued for Lyman on a misdemeanor charge of furnishing alcohol to a minor, police said.
According to the statement, "The D.A. determined that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with a charge related to the pornography."
Lyman said he received a call from a South Pasadena police sergeant asking him to come to the station to be booked and he immediately complied.
He declined to discuss the specifics of the allegations, but said he does not dispute them.
"They're accurate," he said of the charges of furnishing alcohol to minors. "I know that I made a mistake in judgement, so these are the consequences."
"I did retire, given all this stuff," he added. "I will go to court and deal with what the judge has to say."
PUSD spokeswoman Binti Harvey called the suspected wrongdoing a "serious allegation."
We're concerned that any minor would have the opportunity to be served alcohol by an adult, especially by a teacher," she said.
The district placed Lyman on leave and launched an investigation as soon as officials were notified of a problem in January, Harvey said. When apparent inappropriate behavior was found, the police were immediately notified.
He had been teaching at Blair High School since 1983, she added.
According to sheriff's booking records, Lyman was due for arraignment April 25 in Alhambra Superior Court.
PHOTO of David Lyman courtesy of the South Pasadena Police Department
WEST COVINA -- Police sought the public's help Friday in finding a missing schizophrenic women who wandered away from a hospital.
Vivian Shaver, 57, was last seen Wednesday at Citrus Valley Medical Center -- Queen of the Valley Campus, where she was receiving medical treatment, West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said.
Shaver, a transient who has been staying at a locked-down skilled nursing facility in Rosemead, wandered off without her schizophrenia medication after going outside for some fresh air, Lopez said.
She has no known family, police said, however she does have a conservator who makes important decisions for her who could not be reached as of Friday.
Shaver is described as white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call the West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8500.
PHOTO: 1993 driver's license photo (the most recent photo available) of Vivian Shaver courtesy of the West Covina Police Department.
PASADENA -- Shots were fired in Northwest Pasadena Thursday, but police found no signs of a victim or shooter, authorities said.
An officer was on patrol about 7 p.m. when he heard gunshots in the area of Summit Avenue and Grandview Street, Pasadena police Lt. Tom Delgado said.
Officers searched the area but found no one injured by gunfire and no suspects, he said.
Police continues checking the area for bullet casings, bullet holes or other signs of a shooting late Thursday.
BALDWIN PARK -- The Baldwin Park Police Department is planning a checkpoint Saturday, officials said.
The checkpoint, meant to screen for drunken drivers and driver's license violations, will be held at an undisclosed time and place within the city, police officials said in a written statement.
WEST COVINA -- Two men are due in court Friday to face charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and possession of marijuana for sales after a takeover robbery at a crowded West Covina cell phone store, authorities said.
Police arrested Jose Cruz Gutierrez, 23, and Julio Marcos Aguilar, 20, both of Desert Hot Springs, minutes after Wednesday's 5:12 p.m. robbery at the AT&T store, 100 S. California Ave., West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said.
A witness called police to report a "robbery in progress" at the store, which was filled with employees and customers, the corporal said.
"The caller relayed information that a gunman entered the store brandishing a handgun, demanding that everyone lay down on the floor," he said.
The gunman stole cash from the registers and ordered and employee to open a safe in which new iPhones were kept, Lt. Richard Bell said.
The gunman, later identified as Gutierrez, appeared to know that the phones would be stored in the safe, Lopez added.
The gunman also stole a phone from a store customer before fleeing into a car with a waiting driver, later identified as Aguilar, he said.
The witness was able to provide police with a description of the getaway car, he said, and officers spotted it nearby on Vincent Avenue.
"A short chase followed after which the suspect vehicle pulled over to the curb in the 1000 block of West Covina Parkway," Lopez said. A handgun was then tossed out of the passenger side of the car.
"At one point, the front passenger (Gutierrez) opened the door and began to bend down toward the handgun," Lopez said.
Officers shot him once with a bean bag projectile and he retreated back into the car, officials said. Both men were than arrested without further incident.
The stolen cash and phones were recovered, Lopez said, and the handgun was found to be loaded and reported stolen out of Moreno Valley.
Additionally, officers discovered some marijuana, packaged for sales, inside the car, police said.
Gutierrez and Aguilar were booked on suspicion of armed robbery, kidnapping, possession of stolen property, possession of a loaded firearm, evading police and possession of a controlled substance for sales.
They were being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the West Covina Police Department jail, Lopez said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Gutierrez and Aguilar were due to be arraigned Friday in West Covina Superior Court.
NORWALK -- California Highway Patrol officers chased down and arrested two young men early Wednesday after they were spotted scrawling graffiti along the 605 Freeway, authorities said.
Manuel Martinez, 20, of Norwalk and Christian Vazquez, 18, of Artesia were booked on suspicion of vandalism, CHP officials said in a written statement.
Two CHP officers were patrolling about 1:30 a.m. on the 605 Freeway near Firestone Boulevard -- an area frequently plagued by graffiti -- when they spotted Martinez and Vazquez, officials said.
They men fled when they noticed the officers approaching, but were quickly captured on Firestone Boulevard, officials said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Martinez was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail, while Vazquez was released Wednesday after posting $10,000 bail.
From City News Service:
LOS ANGELES -- The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to review the case against three men convicted of the October 2002 murder of a 17-year- old Baldwin Park girl whose body was dumped on a Hacienda Heights street.The state's highest court denied the defense's petitions seeking review of the case against Abraham Ruben Acuna, Matthew Andrew Garcia and Victor Manuel Monge.The three were charged in January 2008 and convicted in June 2009 of first-degree murder for the slaying of Gloria Gaxiola, who was strangled and shot to death on Oct. 12, 2002.The teenager -- who had been killed in the Turnbull Canyon area -- was pushed out of a car, but her foot got stuck on a seatbelt and her body was dragged from the vehicle for about 4 1/2 miles, to the location where it was found on Hacienda Boulevard, near Colima Road.Last November, a three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected claims by the three that there were errors in their trial, including the admission of two photographs showing Gaxiola's injuries.Acuna was sentenced in July 2009 to 55 years to life in state prison, while Garcia was ordered to serve 80 years to life and Monge was sentenced to 85 years to life.
LONG BEACH -- A former executive director of California state mental hospital and Walnut resident will die in prison for molesting his adopted son over the course of nine years, officials said Wednesday.
Claude Edward Foulk Jr., 63, received a sentence of 248 years in state prison -- the maximum sentence allowed by law -- from Long Beach Superior Court Judge James Pierce, Los Angeles County District Attorney's officials said in a written statement. Foulk was also ordered to pay $6,200 in restitution.
He was convicted Feb. 3 of more than 30 counts of child molestation for abusing his adopted son from age nine to 18, prosecutors said.
The abuse took place while the father and son lived in Long Beach, then continued when they moved to Walnut, officials added.
Though the case against Foulk involved only his adopted son, four other men testified during his trial that they were molested by Foulk as far back as 1966, district attorney's officials said in the statement.
"Additionally, seven other male victims alleged that Foulk sexually assaulted them when they were between the ages of nine and 12 between the years of 1967 and 1984," according to the statement, though the statute of limitations on any possible criminal prosecution has passed.
Foulk served as the executive director of the Napa State Hospital until he was charged, and subsequently fired, on Feb. 24, 2010.
Foulk also lost his nursing license, officials said. He has worked as a nurse at Children's Hospital in the 1970s, where he came in contact with one of his alleged victims.
SOUTH PASADENA -- A 20-year-old man received a 12-year prison sentence Wednesday for striking a teenage boy in the head with a baseball bat, leaving him with severe brain injuries, authorities said.
Elijah Stinson of La Puente received the sentence from Pasadena Superior Court Judge Candace Beason as part of a plea agreement, Sgt. Jim Valencia of the South Pasadena Police Department Detective Bureau said in a written statement.
He pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder without premeditation as well as assault with a deadly weapon likely to cause great bodily injury, Valencia said.
Stinson, then 17 years old, walked up behind then-18-year-old South Pasadena High School student Jeffrey Cortinez on Feb. 1, 2008, and struck him in the head with a baseball bat, investigators said.
Despite his age, Stinson was tried as an adult.
Stinson was believed to have held a grudge against Cortinez for several weeks, ever since Cortinez had become part of a fight involving one of Stinson's friends.
Stinson's girlfriend at the time, then-20-year-old Jeniell Galvan-Franco of Glendora, was convicted of acting as a getaway driver after the attack.
She pleaded guilty to a count of assault with a deadly weapon in late 2009 and was sentenced to three years behind bars, officials said. Most of the time had already been served at the time of the sentencing, and Galvan-Franco has since been released on parole.
"The attack left Cortinez with severe brain injuries from which he is still trying to recuperate with the help of rehabilitation and around-the-clock nursing care," Valencia said.
"During an emotional sentencing," he added, "(Cortinez's mother) and Jeffrey Cortinez's younger brother spoke to the court and to Stinson directly about the physical, emotional and financial toll the unprovoked attack has taken on Jeffrey Cortinez and his family."
MONTEBELLO -- A Los Angeles jury convicted a Pico Rivera man Tuesday of shooting another man to death along Whittier Boulevard in Montebello in 2007.
Ernie Sandoval, 29, was convicted of murdering 25-year-old Melvin Estrada of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
The jury also found true the special allegation of the personal use of a firearm, court officials said.
He faces 18 years to life in prison when he returns to Los Angeles Superior Court for sentencing on April 28.
During Sandoval's sentencing hearing, officials added, the court will also determine whether Sandoval is to be sentenced at a third strike offender, which could add additional prison time to his sentence.
Sandoval waived his right to a jury trial on the three strikes determination, court officials said.
Sandoval shot and killed Estrada July 14, 2007, in the 1900 block of West Whittier Boulevard, investigators said.
Officials said Estrada had been involved in a fist fight with one of Sandoval's acquaintances before the shooting before Sandoval walked up to Estrada, shot him in the chest and walked away.
The slaying remained a mystery until mid-2010.
Homicide detectives released a composite sketch of the killer in April of 2010. The next month, Sandoval was jailed.
WEST COVINA -- Police took a 28-year-old transient to jail Sunday after he was caught masturbating in some bushes, then admitted to possessing some methamphetamine, police said.
Juan Martin Martinez, a transient known to frequent the San Dimas area, was booked on suspicion of drug possession and indecent exposure, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said.
An officer was patrolling in the 1500 block of E. Amar Road about 1:20 p.m. when he came across Martinez, who was masturbating in some bushes, the lieutenant said.
While being detained and questioned by the officer, Martinez admitted to having a small amount of methamphetamine and a smoking pipe on him, he added.
According to sheriff's booking records, Martinez was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail and was due for arraignment Wednesday in West Covina Superior Court.
VALINDA -- Deputies jailed two gang members on suspicion of multiple charges Sunday after a short pursuit in a stolen car, authorities said.
Hector Gordian, 22, and Teofilo Ibarra, 18, both La Puente residents and members of the East Valinda Street Gang known as the "Townsmen," were being held at the Los Angeles County sheriff's Industry Station, Lt. Victor Sotelo said.
A deputies spotted a car about 2:05 a.m. on Azusa Avenue at Temple Avenue and realized it had been reported stolen, the lieutenant said.
"They attempted to effect a traffic stop and the vehicle attempted to evade them," he said.
The car drove a short distance and stopped near the intersection of Temple Avenue and Amar road, where the driver, Gordian, and Ibarra jumped out and ran, Sotelo said.
Deputies captured Ibarra "almost instantaneously," he said, but Gordian managed to flee into a nearby apartment complex.
Sotelo said a group of deputies spotted Gordian in the complex, chased him down and became involved in a fight with him.
They managed to subdue Gordian, officials said, but one deputy suffered a sprained knee and another sprained fingers in the process.
Deputies also discovered methamphetamine and items believed to have been stolen in a previous West Covina auto theft in the suspects' possession, Sotelo said.
They were booked on suspicion of possession of a stolen car, possession of stolen property and possession of methamphetamine, he said. Gordian was also booked on suspicion of battery on peace officers.
According to sheriff's booking records, Ibarra was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and Gordian was being held in lieu of $25,000 bail. They were due for arraignment Wednesday in West Covina Superior Court.
WHITTIER -- A would-be robber armed with a shotgun fled empty-handed after trying to rob a Subway sandwich shop early Sunday, police said.
The gunman entered the restaurant on Whittier Boulevard, just east of Colima Road, about 6:50 a.m. and demanded money for the employees, Whittier police Lt. Carlos Solorza said.
"The employees were just in the process of opening up and they had no money," the lieutenant said. "He got frustrated and he left."
Police described the failed robber as a black man in his early 20s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 155 pounds. He was wearing a black baseball cap, a black hooded sweat shirt and a beige raincoat.
WHITTIER -- A 27-year-old woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend to death in late 2009, who prosecutors initially declined to file charges against, has been arrested on suspicion of murder, authorities said Sunday.
Investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau arrested Michelle Pacheco about 11 a.m. Thursday on suspicion of murder, according to sheriff's officials and booking records. She is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office decided in late 2010 not to file charges against her for the Nov. 27, 2009, fatal stabbing of 29-year-old Sean Casillas, however the case remained under review.
Homicide detectives initially said it appeared that Casillas was stabbed during a fight with Pacheco at an apartment in the 14300 block of Mulberry Drive in an unincorporated county area near Whittier.
Casillas assaulted Pacheco with some sort of household object before the two wrestled over a steak knife and Casillas was ultimately stabbed in the chest, investigators have said.
The district attorney's officials and the handling detectives could not be reached for comment Sunday for comment on the arrest.
Information on Pacheco's initial court date was not available, however criminal defendants being held in custody are generally brought before a judge for arraignment with two working court days of arrest. Courts are closed Monday for the President's Day holiday.
TEMPLE CITY -- A man expecting to buy an iPhone through the popular Craigslist.com classified ads website Saturday was instead robbed at gunpoint, authorities said.
The crime took place about 3:30 p.m. behind a Carl's Jr. restaurant at Las Tunas Drive and Golden West Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Jeff Walker said.
The victim and suspect met via Craigslist, and the victim arranged to purchase an iPhone from the robber for $500, the sergeant said.
When the men met to do the transaction behind the restaurant, the robber pulled a semi-automatic handgun on him and stole his money, Walker said.
The gunman was described as an Asian man of about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 160 pounds. He had black hair, brown eyes and wore a red jacket.
He was last seen fleeing through Civic Center Park, toward City Hall, Walker added.
When doing business via websites such as Craigslist, Walker said, the public is advised to learn as much information about the identity of the person they plan to meet as possible, and ensure the meeting takes place in a public area.
From City News Service:
LENNOX -- Female remains found Saturday at an alleged drug house in Lennox may be those of the wife of a man whose body was found buried there earlier this week.The woman's body was found around 3:45 p.m. at the home on 112th Street near Inglewood Avenue, Sgt. Edmundo Hummel of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau reportedly said.Coroner's officials would only say the remains were female.The body of the owner of the home, James Daniel Stein, 53, was unearthed Tuesday in the backyard of the residence.His wife, Gabriela, went missing about a month after Stein's mother reported him missing Dec. 17.Marcos Lomeli, 26, became a suspect in the couple's death after his former girlfriend told authorities at least one body was buried at the reputed drug house.He was arrested Wednesday at a motel in the 4300 block of Rosemead Boulevard.
WHITTIER -- Services are planned for a longtime Whittier couple slain by their son, who then turned the gun on himself, earlier this month.
A viewing is scheduled for Raul Escobedo, 67, and his wife of 35 years Debra Escobedo, 60, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday in the Memorial Chapel of Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3888 Workman Mill Road.
The funeral service is to take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the SkyRose Chapel at Rose Hills.
The couple was killed by their son, 31-year-old Mario Escobedo, who then fatally shot himself, on Feb. 11 at their home in the 16000 block of Janine Drive, according to authorities.
"Debbie and Raul will be remembered for their love of life, learning and their immeasurable and unconditional love for their family," family members said in an obituary.
The couple lived in Whittier for more than 30 years.
Raul Escobedo, a decorated U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, retired in 2009 after a 39-year career as an urban planner and landscape designer.
Debra Escobedo taught first grade at Lawrence T. Magee Elementary School in Pico Rivera, where she attended as a child, for nearly 50 years.
They are survived by Debra's mother, Violet Moya, their children, Monica and Michelle Escobedo, their son-in-law, Phillip Alcazar, their six siblings and their three grandchildren, Brandon, Matthew and Evan.
A memorial website has been established for the family at www.escobedofamily.org.
PHOTO of Raul and Debra Escobedo courtesy of the Escobedo family.
PASADENA -- Police jailed a man and woman early Saturday on suspicion of shooting a man in the leg the previous day.
Luis Chavez, 28, and Rene Calderon, 36, were arrested at a Commerce hotel, and a handgun believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered, Pasadena police officials said in a written statement.
The shooting took place about 3 p.m. Friday in the 1000 block of North Los Robles Avenue.
A man and woman shot a 38-year-old man in the leg before fleeing the area in a light-colored vehicle, police said.
Detectives working through the night tracked the pair to a motel room in Commerce, though police declined to say Saturday how the suspects were identified.
Police also declined to discuss the motive in the shooting.
Chavez and Calderon were booked on suspicion of attempted murder.
According to sheriff's booking records, Calderon was being held in lieu of $520,000 bail, while Chavez was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
From City News Service:
MONROVIA -- A 29-year-old store clerk arrested for allegedly selling marijuana to undercover investigators at a liquor store in Monrovia was freed on bail Saturday, officials said.Johnny Souhiel Khalil of Burbank was arrested Thursday on suspicion of possession and sales of marijuana and attempting to purchase and receive stolen property, said John Carr of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control."Authorities arrested Khalil following an ongoing investigation," Carr said. "Khalil sold, gave away or facilitated the sale of marijuana to undercover investigators on three separate occasions."Khalil also allegedly negotiated the sale and purchase of property he believed was stolen, Carr said.After seeing possible illegal activity, ABC investigators went undercover at House of Spirits at 501 W. Duarte Road, Carr said."In addition to the criminal charges against the suspect involved, the department expects to file accusations against the licensee," Carr said.Khalil, who was held on $20,000 bail, was released just after midnight, according to sheriff's booking records.
AZUSA -- Two men escaped injury Friday when a group of gang members opened fire on them, police said.
The shooting occurred about 7:40 p.m. in the 600 block of North Cedarlglen Avenue, Azusa police Cpl. Rick Hayden said in a written statement.
Two Azusa men, ages 20 and 23, were standing in front of a carport when three men described as having the appearance of Latino gang members pulled up.
"The victims ran away as one of the suspects exited a vehicle and yelled "Azusa"," the corporal said. The attackers were believed to be referiing to a local street gang known as "Azusa 13."
The victims then heard a single gunshot, Hayden said.
"Fortunately, only an unoccupied parked vehicle was hit by the shot that was fired," he said.
Following the shooting, police said, the suspects fled into a nearby vehicle and sped off. A description of the getaway car was not available Saturday afternoon.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Azusa Police Department Detective Bureau at 626-812-3200.
AZUSA -- Police suspect a Baldwin Park man was drunk when crashed his car in Azusa late Friday, critically injuring his 16-year-old passenger.
Andrew Ariaga, 27, was hospitalized in stable condition Saturday and expected to face felony drunken driving charges, Azusa police Cpl. Dean Brewer said in a written statement.
His passenger, an Azusa boy, was hospitalized in critical condition, he added.
The crash took place about 11:40 p.m. San Gabriel Avenue at 10th Street.
Ariaga was driving a 1975 Volkswagon Beetle southbound on the rain-slickened avenue when he "apparently lost control," Brewer said.
"The (Beetle) slid sideways into the back of a 2005 Volkswagon Touareg, which caused serious injury to the passenger," he said. The Touareg was parked and unoccupied.
"Preliminary reports indicate that Mr. Ariaga was traveling too fast in the 35 mph zone and is suspected of driver under the influence of alcohol," Brewer said.
The crash remained under investigation by the Azusa Police Department Traffic Division.
ALTADENA -- A sheriff's deputy shot and killed a man late Friday who authorities said pulled a gun after fleeing from a traffic stop.
Stephen Bullock, 33, of Pomona died in the 11:26 p.m. shooting in the 900 block of East New York Drive, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Lt. Larry Dietz said.
Deputies pulled over a car for a traffic violation about 11:25 p.m. in the 900 block of East New York Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
"(Bullock) exited from the passenger side of the vehicle and ran away," Deputy Mark Pope said in a written statement.
A deputy chased Bullock briefly before he turned around and confronted the pursuing deputy, he said.
Bullock fought with the deputy for about two minutes before the altercation turned fatal, Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
"During the fight, the suspect reached into his waistband and pulled out a handgun. The deputy, fearing for his life, shot one time, killing the suspect," Pope said.
Bullocks handgun, which was recovered at the scene, was loaded, Corina added, and the deputy's quick response may have saved his life.
"The deputy shot first," he said.
Bullock was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. The deputy was not injured.
Sheriff's officials did not release the name of the involved deputy Saturday, however Sgt. Debra Herman described him as a "seasoned deputy" with more than 10 years on the force.
The 44-year-old man that was driving the car that Bullock fled from was questioned by homicide detectives, Corina said. It was unclear Saturday if he would face charges.
According to Los Angeles County Superior Court records, Bullock has had numerous run-ins with the law since 1997, though only one conviction for a violent crime.
In addition to more than a dozen conviction for offenses such as drunken driving, driving without a license, obstructing police, giving a false name to police and damaging a jail cell over the past 13 years, Bullock was convicted of battery in January of 2001 in Pasadena Superior Court.
SOUTH PASADENA -- Police arrested two men Friday on suspicion of trying to cash a bogus check, authorities said.
Nathan Huston, 34, of Alhambra and Donald Stratton, 50, of Los Angeles were booked on suspicion of forgery, conspiracy and false personation, South Pasadena police Sgt. Robert Bartl said.
Stratton entered the Chase bank, 1305 Fair Oaks Ave., about 11:30 a.m. and tried to cash a stolen check that had been washed of ink and re-written in the amount of $460, the sergeant said.
He presented a fake California ID card with the photo of an unidentified black man on it and the driver's license and date of birth of someone else, later determined to be Huston, Bartl said.
When the teller took too long to cash the check, he said, Stratton fled from the bank and got into a car with Huston at the wheel.
Bartl said officers stopped the car nearby and arrested both men.
He added that investigators believed that if the men had been successful in cashing the check, Huston would have then reported the transaction as fraud and sought reimbursement from the bank.
Huston, who was found to have an outstanding forgery warrant out of Pasadena, was being held in lieu of $85,000 bail, according to sheriff's booking records. Stratton was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
From City News Service:
POMONA -- Two men were convicted Friday of killing a teenager and a young man in a van at a West Covina intersection.Juan Martin Anda, 24, and Gerardo Fonseca Jr., 22, were each convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Jurors also found true a special circumstance of multiple murders.Both men face up to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2009 shootings of Isaac Parra, 17, and Jason C. Guijarro, 19, both of Baldwin Park.A sentencing date was expected to be set Tuesday.Anda, who fired the fatal shots, and Fonseca were acquitted of two counts of attempted murder and one count of making a criminal threat. A third defendant, 20-year-old Melissa Ann Goree, was acquitted of all charges.Parra and Guijarro were fatally wounded around 10:30 p.m. March 31, 2009, while they sat inside a van. Police and prosecutors said the shooting apparently stemmed from a dispute between an ex-boyfriend and girlfriend.Fonseca and Goree, also both from Baldwin Park, were arrested shortly after the shooting. Anda was arrested after charges were filed April 3, 2009.
IRWINDALE -- Authorities Friday identified a 76-year-old man who was fatally struck by a car while walking across the 605 Freeway.
Eduardo Cantos Crus died at the scene of Thursday's 6:20 p.m. accident on the southbound 605 Freeway, just south of Lower Azusa Road, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
He was listed as a resident of Rancho Cucamonga, however he was believed to be staying at a nearby senior citizens home, Sgt. Kurt Stormes said.
Crus had gone out for dinner on foot when he apparently became disoriented and ended up walking on the freeway, the sergeant said.
A 46-year-old Azusa man was unable to keep from hitting Crus as he walked in the No. 2 lane of traffic, officials said.
After Crus was struck, the car that hit him then struck another unknown vehicle, investigators added.
The southbound 605 Freeway was completely shut down for about an hour after the crash as authorities investigated, and two lanes remained closed well into Thursday evening.
SOUTH PASADENA -- A man accused of shooting his friend in the head as the two sat in a car in South Pasadena more than a year ago is in custody and awaiting trial, authorities said Friday, though the motive in the slaying remained a mystery.
By all accounts, Juan Carlos Perez, 34, and Noe Martinez-Quinone, 35, were good friends who were last seen attending a baby shower, then visiting a Los Angeles bar about 2 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2009, Detective Karen Shonka of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said. Slightly more than two hours later, a South Pasadena police officer discovered Martinez-Quinone's body inside his friend's car parked in the 1000 block of Arroyo Drive, and Perez became a fugitive.
Despite Perez's arrest on suspicion of the killing, what happened between to the two men remains unclear, Shonka said.
"We have no idea. It's an unknown motive. When we spoke to (Perez), he denied any involvement."
Perez was arrested on suspicion of murdering Martinez-Quinone Feb. 5 after he was found to be serving time in an Orange County jail for an unrelated assault and drug possession conviction under the alias of Aron Montalvo, the detective said.
Jailed in Orange County in July of last year, homicide detectives allowed him to serve out his sentence before arresting him on suspicion of the South Pasadena slaying.
He's due to be arraigned March 10 in Alhambra Superior Court, court officials said.
The officer approached a car about 4:20 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2009, in the 1000 block of Arroyo Drive when Perez, sitting in the driver's seat, uttered something unintelligible at the him and ran away, investigators said. Martinez-Quionone's body was then found in the passenger seat of the car Perez was not found after a lengthy search.
Nothing found in the car shed any light on a possible motive in the killing, Shonka said, and the murder weapons has not been found.
Coroner's officials reported there were no drugs in Martinez-Quinones body other than alcohol, she added.
Martinez-Quinone was a Guatemalan national who moved to the U.S. about a year before his slaying, investigators said, and Perez is a Mexican national believed to be involved in human smuggling.
Both were living in Los Angeles at the time of the shooting.
Perez was being held without bail because of a hold from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to sheriff's booking records.
IRWINDALE -- An elderly man was struck and killed while walking on the 605 Freeway Thursday, officials said.
The incident was reported just after 6:20 p.m. on the southbound 605 Freeway near Live Oak Avenue, California Highway Patrol Officer Monica Posada said.
The man was struck in the center of the freeway, and at least one witness reported seeing him walking across the roadway, Posada said.
It was not clear why the man was on the freeway.
The accident caused the closure of all four lanes of the southbound freeway for about an hour, according to CHP logs. The two right lanes were reopened about an hour after the crash, though the two left lanes remained shut down Thursday evening as officials investigated.
No further details were available.
PASADENA -- Police will be targeting red light violators Friday during a traffic enforcement campaign, police said.
The campaign will take place between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., Pasadena police officials said in a written statement.
"The Pasadena Police Department is committed to reducing the number of traffic collisions resulting from drivers running red lights or driving aggressively through intersections," Police Chief Phillip Sanchez said.
Funding for the operation is being provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
WALNUT -- The sheriff's bomb squad went to Mt. San Antonio College Thursday and determined an artillery shell brought to the campus was an inert display piece, authorities said.
Deputies were alerted about 4:37 p.m. that someone had brought what appeared to be a 40mm artillery shell to Mt. SAC, 1100 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John Saleeby said.
Deputies evacuated the building and called for the bomb squad, the lieutenant said.
The bomb squad arrived at building 60 -- listen on the campus website as a science building -- and determined that the shell contained no explosives and was merely a display piece, the lieutenant said.
Officials sounded the all-clear about 6 p.m.
The reason the shell was brought to the school and who brought were not available, Saleeby said, however it appeared no crime had been committed.
From City News Service:
LOS ANGELES - A man whose body was found buried in the backyard of an alleged "drug house" in Lennox was identified today by the coroner's office, while the man's wife remained missing and a suspect in the case was in custody.The body of James Daniel Stein, 53, was unearthed Tuesday in the backyard of the home he owned on 112th Street near Inglewood Avenue, according to the coroner's office.Marcos Lomeli, 26, was taken into custody about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Lancer Motel in the 4300 block of Rosemead Boulevard, said sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker.Investigators began digging up the yard after the suspect's former girlfriend told detectives at least one body was buried at the reputed "drug house," said sheriff's Lt. Don Slawson.Stein's mother reported him missing Dec. 17, and his wife, Gabriela, went missing the next month. Investigators suspect she also could be buried on the property.The search for her body was suspended early yesterday because of the rainy weather, said sheriff's Sgt. Michael Thomas.In addition to being a suspect in Stein's apparent murder, "the suspect was ... also wanted for the alleged false imprisonment, robbery, carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon of an adult victim on Saturday in Lennox," Parker said.Lomeli called 911, falsely claiming to be held hostage at the Pico Rivera motel, and "over the ensuing 10 or so minutes, deputies worked to convince the suspect to surrender," said Parker.The former girlfriend, Jenny Salazar, was reportedly also arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment.Slawson told a newspaper he was told that several people who had lived at the house suddenly disappeared from the home about a week ago.He said Salazar and Lomeli went to the house on Jan. 12 and asked another resident if they could borrow a truck, and when the truck owner asked why, Lomeli said he needed to move a couple of bodies.He said that when the truck owner said no, they tied him up, but that the man escaped and told authorities what happened.A neighbor told a TV crew he had been calling the sheriff's department about problems at the house for years. He said there had been numerous overdose deaths there, but "nothing ever seemed to turn up."Lomeli had at least one previous arrest. He was jailed by Culver City police on an unnamed felony charge on Dec. 3, according to Los Angeles County jail records. Lomeli apparently posted the $20,000 bail, but no court information was immediately available. He is currently being held without bail.In another twist to the case, a fire broke out at the house last night. Neighbors reported seeing smoke and flames coming from the house around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, it was reported.Sheriff's deputies reportedly described packrat conditions in the home.
POMONA -- The sentencing for an Azusa man who stole a 1988 World Series ring, along with other jewelry, from former Dodger Jimmy Campanis last year was postponed Thursday until late this year.
Frank Jose Carrillo, 40, pleaded guilty in early January to stealing the items from Campanis' golf bag as he participated in a charity golf tournament in Chino Hills on Nov. 15 of last year.
He was expected to be sentenced to two years in state prison Thursday, but the sentencing was continued until Dec. 13, court officials said.
The delay will allow Carrillo to serve his sentence in county jail instead of state prison, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
Pomona Superior Court Commissioner Wade Olson granted Carrillo's request to avoid state prison over the objections of the prosecution, Robison said.
Carrillo will remain in county jail until he returns to court on Dec. 13, she said, when he's still expected to be sentenced to two years behind bars.
With credit for the time he will have already served in county jail, officials said, he will be able to serve the remainder of his sentence in a county facility after his sentencing.
Carrillo pleaded guilty Dec. 13 of last year to three counts of grand theft of personal property, two counts of second-degree commercial burglary and one count of receiving stolen property, the district attorney's office said in a written statement.
Carrillo was arrested two days after the theft by by La Verne police, authorities said. Investigators recovered the World Series ring, as well as several Rolex watches, wallets and other items while executing a search warrant at Carrillo's home.
Carrillo admitted stealing the items from golf bags and golf carts between June 2009 and November 2010.
ARCADIA -- The bomb squad detonated a live World War I and II-era grenade on the lawn in front of the Arcadia Police Department Wednesday after a woman brought the explosive to the police station, authorities said.
A woman in her 60s, who was staying with friends in Arcadia, found the grenade in the garage of her former residence in Los Angeles, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said. She brought it to the Arcadia police station, 250 W. Huntington Drive, about 3 p.m.
Police called in the Los Angeles County sheriff's bomb squad, who removed the grenade from the woman's car and decided the safest move would be to detonate it right there.
"They ended up asking public works to come out and they dug a hole on the lawn outside the police department -- several feet deep with sandbags," Le Veque said.
Bomb squad members placed the grenade in the hole, covered it and set it off, police said.
Arcadia resident Faith Arnold said she found the British grenade in her deceased father's possessions and was unsure what to do with it. Her father was a WWII veteran.
"Once we got to the police station they told us it was a live World War I hand grenade," Arnold said.
In a written statement, Arcadia police officials said, "The grenade was a live 'Mills Bomb' commonly used by British military from 1915-1970s."
Arnold added experts believed the grenade came from India, and her father likely brought it home from there.
The man kept the grenade in his Glassell Park garage for years.
Once the bomb squad detonated the device it "disintegrated," Arnold said. She said the Arcadia Police Department recovered only the safety pin and may return it to her as a souvenir.
The incident lasted about three hours, Le Veque said. Nearby city buildings remained open, though the south-facing entrances and exits were blocked.
Le Veque advised anyone who finds any explosive not to move it. Leave it in place and call the police.
Older explosives, especially, can deteriorate and become unsafe to handle or transport, he added.
This type of incident is actually, "not that uncommon," Le Veque said. "We probably get one or two of this type of incident every year."
PHOTO of grenade courtesy of the Arcadia Police Department.
As the Associated Press reports below, another layer of mystery has been added to an already bizarre case involving the discovery of a body, missing persons, carjackings and false imprisonment. The investigation began in Lennox, and diverted to Pico Rivera Wednesday when an outstanding suspect was arrested at a motel:
Investigators worked Thursday to determine what caused a fire at a Lennox drug house days after a body was found in the backyard.Arson detectives were called to the charred home in the unincorporated Lennox area on Wednesday night after firefighters extinguished the blaze.The fire added a new layer of mystery to a case that already includes missing persons, a carjacking and a possible killing.The homeowner, James Stein, 53, and his wife, Gabriela, vanished at different times in December.On Tuesday, a man's body wrapped in cloth and plastic was unearthed from the trash-strewn backyard.Los Angeles County sheriff's homicide Lt. Don Slawson said coroner's investigators had not identified the person.A two-day search of the property turned up no further human remains, and the Steins are both officially considered to be missing, Slawson said."We're trying to hunt her down (and) try to find out what happened," the lieutenant said. "Hopefully, she's alive. That would be the best-case scenario for all of us."The fire was reported shortly after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, about two hours after a man was arrested on suspicion of carjacking someone at the home days earlier.Marcos Lomeli, 26, surrendered at a Pico Rivera motel following a brief standoff with a SWAT team, sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker said.He remained jailed without bail on Thursday.Homicide detectives want to question him about the body that was discovered.Authorities had been searching for Lomeli since Saturday, when a man called authorities to report he had been carjacked at the home, Slawson said.Investigators believe that Lomeli and Jenny Salazar, who both lived at the home, called the man to the house by saying they needed his truck to move some property.When he arrived, they asked to borrow the truck and told him they "needed to move a body or bodies, as the case may be," Slawson said.When he refused, he was tied up and his truck was stolen, Slawson said.Salazar, 22, was arrested Monday for investigation of false imprisonment, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.She prompted a search of the property by telling investigators a body was buried in the backyard, Slawson said.She remained jailed Thursday on $250,000 bail.Slawson said investigators were looking into the possibility that the fire was set to destroy evidence.Other motives might be vandalism or a desire to get rid of a house neighbors claimed had been a hangout for drug addicts for decades, Slawson said.
PICO RIVERA -- Deputies in Pico Rivera Wednesday arrested a man being sought in connection with a string of violent crimes and the discovery of a body in a Lennox backyard, authorities said.
Marcos Lomeli, 26, of Lennox, was being held on suspicion of false imprisonment, robbery, carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
He was arrested shortly before 6 p.m. at the Lancers Motel, near Beverly and Rosemead boulevards, Lt. Robert Smith said.
While investigating the allegations of carjacking, robbery, false imprisonment and assault with a deadly weapon against Lomeli and fellow suspect Jenny Salazar, 22, of Lennox, investigators discovered the body of a man in the backyard of a home that Lomeli and Salazar rented part-time.
Salazar was arrested Monday.
The identity of the body and the circumstances of the death were being investigated by coroner's investigators, however, "deputies discovered that a married couple had been reported missing from the same address during the previous few months," Capt. Michael Parker said in a written statement. "James Stein, 53, was reported missing in December, and his wife Gabriella Stein, 42, was reported missing later on."
"Suspects Jenny Salazar and Marcos Lomeli are part-time renters (at the home)," Parker said.
The massive investigation began early Saturday when a man called the sheriff's South Los Angeles Station to report he had been the victim of a carjacking, assault and false imprisonment, the captain said.
The man told detectives he had gone to visit acquaintances at a home on the 4800 block of 112nd Street in the unincorporated county area of Lennox, officials said.
While at the home, Parker said, Lomeli and Salazar asked if they could borrow the victim's truck.
"When the victim asked why they wanted to borrow the truck, they said to move a body," Parker said.
"The victim said he did not want to be involved and they could not borrow his truck," he said. "They told him they were taking it anyway. To ensure they were taken seriously, one of the suspects fired a gun in the house. The suspects then beat him and tied him up."
The man was able to free himself and call for help about 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
Salazar was arrested Monday when she returned to the home in a pickup truck reported carjacked out of Los Angeles Sunday night, investigators said, but Lomeli remained at large. In addition to the truck, Salazar also had other items with her that were stolen in Sunday's carjacking.
Detectives returned to the Lennox home Tuesday for further investigation, Parker said.
"That afternoon, the body of a man was excavated from a grave that had been dug in the backyard," Parker said.
Investigators from the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner will examine the body to determine who it is, and if it may be the remains of the missing James Stein.
Deputies received information that Lomeli was at the Lancers Motel in Pico Rivera Wednesday and found him there about 2 p.m., Smith said.
After deputies carefully evacuated nearby motel rooms and established contact with Lomeli, he was arrested without a struggle, he added.
PHOTO of Marcos Lomeli comes courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
From City New Service:
U R G E N T
LOS ANGELES -- Six current and former Bell city officials were ordered today to stand trial on charges of misappropriating public funds.
Mayor Oscar Hernandez, City Council members Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal, and
former council members Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello are accused of taking part in a scam that siphoned $5.5 million in taxpayer money from the city's coffers, primarily through lofty salaries.
They are all due to be arraigned March 2.
After a seven-day preliminary hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Henry J. Hall ruled there was sufficient evidence to order the six to stand trial. A preliminary hearing will begin Tuesday for former City Administrator Robert Rizzo and his assistant, Angela Spaccia.<QA>
ARCADIA -- City officials honored an Arcadia police officer Tuesday with the "Life Saving Award," for his role in saving a choking 6-year-old boy late last year.
Officer Steve Castillo received the award from Arcadia Police Chief Bob Sanderson during a city council meeting.
The award stemmed from a Dec. 26 call of a child choking in the 1000 block Loma Lisa Lane, Capt. Bob Guthrie said in a written statement.
"Officer Castillo discovered that the boy had a pulse, but was not breathing, unresponsive, and had skin that was blue in color," the captain said. "Officer Castillo administered several back blows in an attempt to dislodge the object blocking the child's airway."
Castillo ultimately was able to clear a portion of the throat obstruction from the child's throat by hand, allowing him to breathe until paramedics were able to fully remove the obstruction, police said.
"The boy was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital for treatment," Guthrie said. "He was later released from the hospital, and has since made a full recovery."
Two upcoming events in the San Gabriel Valley this month are geared toward giving kids positive messages and activities to help keep them from ending up, well, mentioned on this crime blog. The Man-e Moreno Foundation is teaming up with two new filmmakers to premiere a short movie about methamphetamine addiction to youths in El Monte Saturday, and the Asian Pacific Family Center has an upcoming San Gabriel Valley Youth Summit on Feb. 25 in Rosemead:
EL MONTE -- A local nonprofit organization and Edwards El Monte 8 Theater is hosting the free premiere Saturday of a short film addressing methamphetamine abuse.Two longtime friends created the 47-minute film, "Crave," in response to the devastation they have witnessed caused by methamphetamine growing up in the La Puente area, 33-year-old filmmaker and actor Ramon Esquivel said.He created the film with Jimi Gonzales, 34, through their new company, "Live Life Productions." Neither has previous filmmaking experience.Though the film addresses a societal problem, Esquivel said, the goal of the film is to provide an inspirational message: "There is hope.You don't have to find yourself alone."The film will be shown twice at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Edwards El Monte 8 theater, 10661 Valley Boulevard, said event organizer and president of the San Gabriel Valley-based Man-e Moreno Foundation, Robert Moreno. Guests are advised to arrive early.The movie is designed for middle school aged children and older, and their parents are encouraged to view it with them, Moreno said.Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, Esquivel said he watched as friends and family members became victims of their own methamphetamine addictions.He said he teamed up with Gonzales, and the two decided, "We're both creative, let's write a short film. Let's do something."Friends in the movie business donated time and equipment to help with the project, and theater time for the premier is being donated by Edwards El Monte 8.The film stars Esquivel, Vanessa Barajas and Gabriel Gonzalez.The premiere is sponsored by the El Monte Police Department and the City of South El Monte. City officials from El Monte, South El Monte, Duarte, El Monte PD and others are expected to attend, along with special guests and sports celebrities."We want to serve as a bridge between kids and law enforcement, local and state officials," Moreno said."If we're not active, other people will be active that will take our kids away from reaching their purpose," he said.Following Wednesday's premier, Live Life Productions and the Man-e Moreno Foundation plan to host additional, yet-to-be scheduled community showings of the film.
ROSEMEAD -- The Asian Pacific Family Center is hosting it's second San Gabriel Valley Youth Summit later this month.The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 26 at Garvey School, 2720 Jackson Street, organizers said in a written statement. It's targeted at kids in grades six through 12.Last year, hundreds of youths from all over the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles County attended to participate in workshops, watch presentations and shows and meet with other local youths.The event will feature a lineup of more than 30 speakers, classes, activities and workshops designed to build stronger communities and help young people make healthy decisions for mind, body and soul.Participants are also encourages to speak up and start conversations about issues that concern them, organizers said.The free event includes music and raffle prized and a free lunch. The first 200 registrants will receive a free T-shirt.A host of community organizations are contributing to the day-long event.For more information, the Asian Pacific Family Center can be reached at 626-287-2988. The event can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sgvyouthsummit.
Here's the link to Brandon Jackson's memorial Facebook page:
KCBS reporter Serene Branson, who had some on-air difficulties reporting live from the Grammys tells her colleagues Monday she's doing better today.This from the station website:
Serene Branson was examined by paramedics on scene immediately after her broadcast. Her vital signs were normal. She was not hospitalized. As a precautionary measure, a colleague gave her a ride home and she says that she is feeling fine this morning.
WHITTIER -- Autopsies carried out Sunday on the bodies of a married couple and their son who were found fatally shot inside their Whittier home confirmed that the parents were slain, and their son committed suicide, coroner's officials said.
Debra Escobedo, 60, and her husband Raul Escobedo, 67, died as the result of homicide, Investigator Kelli Blanchard of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said.
Mario Escobedo, 31, died as the result of a suicide, she said.
A relative discovered Debra Escobedo's body inside the family's home about noon Friday in the 16000 block of Janine Drive, Whittier police officials said.
Believing an armed suspect may still be inside, police engaged in a standoff at the home for more than six hours as they tried to may contact with anyone inside the home.
A SWAT team forced their way into the house in the evening, when officers discovered the bodies of Raul and Mario Escobedo.
Neighbors said the couple lived in the house with their son, who was believed to have psychological problems.
Family members gathered at the home Sunday afternoon did not wish to comment.
Debra Escobedo, 60, and her husband Raul Escobedo, 67, died as the result of homicide, Investigator Kelli Blanchard of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said.
Mario Escobedo, 31, died as the result of a suicide, she said.
A relative discovered Debra Escobedo's body inside the family's home about noon Friday in the 16000 block of Janine Drive, Whittier police officials said.
Believing an armed suspect may still be inside, police engaged in a standoff at the home for more than six hours as they tried to may contact with anyone inside the home.
A SWAT team forced their way into the house in the evening, when officers discovered the bodies of Raul and Mario Escobedo.
Neighbors said the couple lived in the house with their son, who was believed to have psychological problems.
Family members gathered at the home Sunday afternoon did not wish to comment.
ALTADENA -- A young man was fatally shot late Saturday in a residential neighborhood, authorities said.
The shooting was reported about 10:40 p.m. in the 300 block of W. Palm Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
The victim, initially described by investigators only as a young black man who appeared to be in his late teens, died at a local hospital.
His name was not released pending notification of family members, coroner's officials said.
Sheriff's officials listed the victim as an adult, however Palm Street resident Tonya Neal, 45, said he was 17 years old.
He had just left a birthday party at her home shortly before being shot, she said.
Neihgbors said he was walking on the street when someone pulled up in a car and called him over, then opened fire, neighbors said.
Sheriff's officials released no information about the circumstances of the shooting Sunday, and the handling detectives could not be reached for comment.
Neal said that the victim was a longtime Altadena resident and football player at Muir High School.
"He was a good kid," she said. "He was always respectful. He always referred to me as Ms. Tonya."
Neal added that she did not believe the young man was involved with gangs.
The shooting was reported about 10:40 p.m. in the 300 block of W. Palm Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
The victim, initially described by investigators only as a young black man who appeared to be in his late teens, died at a local hospital.
His name was not released pending notification of family members, coroner's officials said.
Sheriff's officials listed the victim as an adult, however Palm Street resident Tonya Neal, 45, said he was 17 years old.
He had just left a birthday party at her home shortly before being shot, she said.
Neihgbors said he was walking on the street when someone pulled up in a car and called him over, then opened fire, neighbors said.
Sheriff's officials released no information about the circumstances of the shooting Sunday, and the handling detectives could not be reached for comment.
Neal said that the victim was a longtime Altadena resident and football player at Muir High School.
"He was a good kid," she said. "He was always respectful. He always referred to me as Ms. Tonya."
Neal added that she did not believe the young man was involved with gangs.
BALDWIN PARK -- Four young men were stabbed -- two of them seriously -- when a fight broke out at a house party late Saturday, police said.
Officers were summoned to a home in the 4100 block of Bresee Avenue just before 10:50 p.m. regarding "multiple stabbing victims at a party," Baldwin Park police Sgt. Chris Hofford said.
They found two men suffering from stab wounds at the home, he said.
One man was stabbed twice in the chest and once in the abdomen, while the other had been slashed under his chin, police said. Both were hospitalized in stable condition.
"As officers were looking in the area for suspects, they encountered two additional victims, both of whom had minor lacerations," Hofford said.
They declined to be taken to a hospital.
Investigators continued looking into the circumstances of the fight and stabbings, and no suspect information was available Sunday afternoon.
COVINA - Two would-be robbers slashed a man in the hand in a failed attempt to steal his laptop computer early Friday, authorities said.
The crime took place about 2:40 a.m. in the 19700 block of West Arrow Highway, in an unincorporated county area near Covina, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Brett Lisle said.
A man was sitting in a parked car when two men described only as Latino approached, the sergeant said.
One of the crooks demanded a laptop computer from the man, while the other attempted to grab it and pull it away from him, Lisle said.
During the scuffle, "One of them slashed (the victim) with an unknown object," he said. He suffered a minor gash to his hand.
The man managed to hang on to his computer, Lisle said, and the failed robbers fled empty-handed in a Ford vehicle.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's San Dimas Station.
PASADENA -- Police arrested a man and three teenage boys, ages 13, 14 and 17, Friday on suspicion of trying to break into a home, authorities said.
Andrew Harris, 18, and the three teens, all from Pasadena, were booked on suspicion of residential burglary, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
A neighborhood resident spotted the suspects about 1:30 p.m. removing a screen from a neighbor's window in the 1800 block of Mentone Avenue and called the police, the lieutenant said.
A Pasadena Police Department helicopter was overhead before the suspects could get inside the home, Russ said, and all four ran in different directions.
"(The helicopter) was was instrumental in directing officers to where the suspects were running from their birds-eye-view vantage point," he said. "Excellent coordination between ground units and air resources proved successful in capturing all four suspects."
Russ also credited the alert neighbor, as well as officers who have been focusing extra attention on residential burglaries for the arrests.
A spike in burglaries, as well as burglary arrests, in recent weeks has made police "very sensitive to anything that may appear to be residential (burglaries) or vehicle (burglaries)," Russ added.
According to sheriff's booking records, Harris was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. His initial court date was not available, though criminal suspects are generally arraigned within two working days of their arrest.
UPDATE: Alvarez was reported found Saturday afternoon
RCADIA -- Police asked the public's help Saturday in finding a missing 85-year-old woman.
Emilia Alvarez was last seen about 12:30 p.m. Friday at her apartment in the 700 block of Fairview Avenue, Arcadia police officials said in a written statement.
"Emilia has a heart condition and her memory is failing," the statement said.
She is described as 5 feet tall, 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a purple vest, blue jeans and black shoes.
Anyone who sees Alvarez is asked to call 9-1-1, or the Arcadia Police Department at 626-574-5150.
SOUTH EL MONTE -- An off-duty sheriff's deputy shot a man in the face Friday after the two engaged in a gun battle on the 60 Freeway, sheriff's officials said.
Armando Gonzalez, a 25-year-old believed to be a Mexican national living in Maywood, was being held at a hospital on suspicion of attempted murder, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
The deputy, whose name was not released Saturday, was driving home about 2:20 p.m. on the eastbound freeway at Santa Anita Avenue when the suspect pulled alongside him in a Ford Expedition and "motioned to the deputy," Capt. Michael Parker said in a written statement.
"The deputy motioned back as if to ask what the suspect wanted," Parker said.
He then saw the suspect reach down, and accelerated away from the Expedition fearing that the suspect may be arming himself, the captain said.
"The suspect again caught up along the left side of the deputy's car, pulled out a handgun and fired at the deputy," Parker said.
"The deputy was forced to fire back after the suspect to save his life," Lt. John Hocking said.
Investigators said the deputy managed to maneuver away from the suspect and pull over on the side of the freeway.
While the deputy was stopped along the roadway, Gonzalez pulled up behind him and again opened fire, officials said.
The suspect, who was shot in the face in one of the exchanges, then exited the freeway and pulled over.
California Highway Patrol dispatchers received several calls from witnesses reporting the shoot-out, and soon after, sheriff's officials received calls that a man was standing near a vehicle with blood on his shirt.
The suspect was hospitalized in critical condition, Parker said, and a handgun was found in his car.
The deputy, who is assigned to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, was not hurt, authorities said.
"With all evidence right now, investigators believe (Gonzalez) is from Mexico and not a U.S. citizen," Hocking said. "They're basing that on items they found in the car."
Gonzalez remained hospitalized Saturday in critical condition, Hocking said.
According to sheriff's booking records, he was being held in lieu of $1 million bail. No information was available regarding his initial court appearance.
From reporter J.D. Velasco:
SOUTH EL MONTE - The eastbound lanes of the 60 Freeway were shut down for about 30 minutes Friday afternoon while Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies investigated a shooting involving an off-duty sheriff's deputy and another motorist, authorities said.
The shooting was reported to the Temple City Sheriff's station about 2:40 p.m. and the freeway was shut down between Rosemead Boulevard and Santa Anita Avenue about 3 p.m.
The motorist was said to have suffered from a non-life-threatening wound. The deputy, who was not identified, is believed to work at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
Sheriff's officials released no further information late Friday.
WHITTIER - A husband, wife and their son were all found shot to death inside their Whittier home Friday in an apparent double murder-suicide, authorities said.
Debra Escobedo, 60, Raul Escobedo, 67, and Mario Escobedo, 31, were found fatally wounded in the home they shared in the 16000 block of Janine Drive, according to coroner's officials and neighbors.
Autopsies were expected to be carried out Sunday or Monday to determine the official causes of death, coroner's officials said. However, the deaths of Debra and Raul Escobedo were initially reported to coroner's investigators as homicides, while Mario Escobedo's death was initially reported as a suicide.
Debra Escobedo's body was first discovered about noon at the house in the 16000 block of Janine Drive, Whittier police spokesman, Dekowski said.
"A family member had arrived at the residence and saw what appeared to be a woman deceased on the floor through a back door or window," he said.
She appeared to have been shot in the chest, officials said.
The discovery of the woman's body, coupled with a belief that the shooter may still be at the home, caused police to take pause and summon a SWAT team to handle the situation, Dekowski said.
Officers evacuated adjacent homes and placing nearby Murphy Ranch Elementary School and La Serna High School on lockdown, Lt. Carlos Solorza said. The lockdown at La Serna was lifted after about half an hour, but Murphy Ranch remained locked down until students were released at the normal 2:30 p.m. release time.
For more than five hours, officers tried to make contact with anyone who may have been inside the home via loudspeakers and telephone.
Ultimately, SWAT officers detonated tear gas and flash-bang grenades before storming the home.
"(SWAT) did find three deceased individuals," Dekowski said.
Longtime family friend and former neighbor Gary Montoya, 49, of Whittier said a couple lived at the home with their adult son.
Neighbors added that they believed Mario Escobedo suffered from mental problems.
Montoya remembered the Debra Escobedo fondly. He had not yet learned of the other two deaths.
"She was a wonderful person," he said . "She was like a grandmother to our three daughters."
Montoya said the woman had recently retired from a teaching position in Pico Rivera.
The family has resided at their home in Whittier for decades, neighbors added.
Family members at the scene late Friday declined to comment.
SOUTH SAN GABRIEL -- A man armed with a handgun robbed a liquor store Thursday in the unincorporated county area of South San Gabriel, officials said.
The crime took place about 8 p.m. at Primo's Liquor, 1633 Portrero Grande, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Tom McNeal said.
A robber described as a man of about 25 wearing a bandana over his face and a gray sweat shirt entered the store with a handgun and demanded cash, the lieutenant said.
After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber got into the passenger side of a black Toyota with a waiting driver, McNeal said. The last three digits of the license plate number were believed to be 870.
The car was last seen heading south on Del Mar Avenue toward the 10 Freeway.
From reporter Ruby Gonzales:
LA HABRA HEIGHTS - Detectives investigating the Wednesday shooting of one man found 200 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of more than $1 million at a La Habra Heights home and arrested the resident.
Sgt. Dan Jackson said Edward Smetak, 53, was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sales early Thursday morning.
He said they seized a gun and paraphernalia related to drug sales like a scale, plastic bags and shrink wrap at the house in the 1900 block of Skyline Vista Drive. But Jackson doesn't think the firearm was used in the shooting.
Deputies also confiscated dryer sheets and other items which Jackson described as "devices to cut down the odor of marijuana." Neighbors apparently didn't smell the drugs.
Sheriff's booking records show Smetak is being held at the Inmate Reception Center in lieu of $100,000 bail. He has a Feb. 14 court date at Whittier Superior Court.
Detectives believe the shooting happened at the house but don't know how many people were involved and if it's drug-related.
The case started Wednesday morning.
Sgt. Carlos Herrera said deputies were sent to Skyline Vista Drive because of reports about a man with a gun. They didn't find anything unusual in the neighborhood.
But a man with a gunshot wound to the upper body later turned up at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton.
Jackson described the man as a resident of Orange County in his 40s. He didn't release the name citing the ongoing investigation. He said the man is in stable condition at another hospital.
"His involvement is still under investigation," Jackson said.
Detectives later served a search warrant at the house on Wednesday and discovered the drugs.
WHITTIER -- Police and sheriff's officials jailed three robbery suspects Thursday after one of their alleged victims followed them from the scene of the crime, authorities said.
The suspects' names were not available late Thursday pending booking, Whittier police Sgt. Terry McAllister said.
Two men entered a gas station at Whittier Boulevard and Broadway about 4:30 a.m. and robbed a clerk and a vendor of their cash and cell phones, the sergeant said. It was not immediately clear if a weapon was used.
The robbers then got into a car and fled, McAllister said, but one of the victims followed them in his own vehicle.
The robbers apparently realized they were being followed around Beverly Boulevard and Workman Mill Road, where they abandoned their vehicle and ran, police said.
Police officers and sheriff's deputies found three suspects in the area and arrested them, McAllister said. Two of them were identified as the robbers by the victims, and the third was suspected of driving the getaway car.
Officials recovered the cash and cell phones, he added.
LOS ANGELES -- An El Monte man pleaded guilty Thursday to fraudulently filing nearly 200 bogus tax returns with information stolen while he was employed as a social worker in an attempt to steal more than $2 million in federal tax refunds, authorities said.
Trang Van Dinh, 62, was due to return to federal court in Los Angeles June 27 for sentencing, U.S. Attorney's officials said in a written statement. He faces up to 10 years in prison for two counts of filing false claims against the United States.
He used names and information from 197 people, which he stole while employed as a social worker for the County of Los Angeles, to file tax returns seeking $2.21 million in fraudulent refunds, officials said.
He worked for the county Department of Social Services from 1999 to 2009.
The majority of the funds were flagged as fraud by banks and not paid to Dinh, though he was able to access $667,034, authorities said.
According to the statement, "Many individuals (whose names were used by Dinh) experienced difficulty and delay in filing their true tax returns because IRS records indicated that a tax return had already been filed."
BALDWIN PARK -- A mentally disabled 15-year-old boy was reunited with his family Thursday after a California Highway Patrol officer found him wandering alongside the 10 Freeway in Baldwin Park.
The teen was spotted by an officer about 3:15 p.m. on the right shoulder of the 10 Freeway at the 605 Freeway, CHP Sgt. John Escobedo said.
The officer made contact with the boy, who cooperated but did not speak, the sergeant said.
Escobedo said the officer brought the boy back to the CHP's Baldwin Park office to try to find his family.
very sensitive to the circumstances.
Investigators soon realized that the boy matched the description of a teen whose family had reported he'd wandered away from his El Monte home 45 minutes earlier, Escobedo said. Officials then reunited the boy with his family.
El Monte police and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services are investigating.
From City News Service:
ARCADIA -- A Taiwanese national wanted in connection with a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme in her homeland was arrested in Arcadia and returned to Taipei, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Thursday.Mei-Rung Lin, 47, who was repatriated to Taiwan on Wednesday, was the subject of a "red notice" issued by the International Crime Police Organization, better known as Interpol, according to ICE.The notice indicated Lin was named in a warrant issued in August 2000 by Taiwanese authorities, accusing her of stealing $2.15 million from a Taiwanese company, ICE reported.She was taken into custody Dec. 16 on administrative immigration violations by ICE officers responsible for identifying and arresting foreign nationals who ignore orders of deportation or have returned to the U.S. illegally after being removed, according to the agency.Lin, who arrived in the United States a decade ago, overstayed her temporary visa and was ordered deported by an immigration judge in 2008, according to ICE.Lin appealed the ruling, but last July, the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld the deportation order, leading to her removal this week.
NORWALK -- Deputies cited 122 drivers for crosswalk-related violations early Thursday during a sting operation, authorities said.
Two deputies in plain clothing crossed Studebaker Road near Dune Street from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Ralph Gama said.
When nearby motor officers spotted a violation, primarily drivers failing to yield to the pedestrians, they stopped and ticketed the drivers, the sergeant said.
In all, 99 tickets were issued for failing to yield to a pedestrian, four tickets were for passing another vehicle that was stopped for a pedestrian and 19 various other citations were written, Sgt. Marc Burruss said.
Deputies also impounded seven cars from drivers due to driver's license violations, he added.
A total of 3,333 cars passed through the checkpoint, officials said.
"The whole concept is crosswalk safety awareness," Gama said. "We want (drivers) to slow down and be aware of pedestrians."
Gama also reminded pedestrians to be cautious and make sure traffic is stopped before stepping into the roadway.
"Try to make eye contact with the driver," he said.
VALINDA -- A driver fled the scene after striking and injuring a 16-year-old Valinda boy Wednesday, authorities said.
The crash was reported at 4:47 on Azusa Avenue at Wing Lane, California Highway Patrol officer Krystal Carter said.
The teen was hospitalized with minor to moderate injuries after being struck, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Art Lopez said.
The injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, he said. Because of the nature of the crash -- the young victim was thrown 15 feet -- and the fact that he may have briefly lost consciousness prompted rescuers to fly him to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center as a precaution.
CHP Officer Chris Gramm said the teen lived in a nearby apartment complex.
He was returning home from a nearby restaurant and was crossing the street with a walk signal and within a crosswalk when he was struck by a car exiting the parking lot of the same apartment complex the teen was heading to, Gramm said.
The car was initially described as a dark blue, older-model Chevrolet sedan, similar to a Caprice or an old police car, with Arizona license plates, Gramm said.
The car's grill was damaged and the passenger side of the windshield was shattered in the crash, he added. The driver was believed to be a Latino man in his 40s.
Investigators planned to collect footage from nearby surveillance cameras for clues, Gramm added.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Baldwin Park Office of the CHP at 626-338-1164.
LA HABRA HEIGHTS -- Investigators are looking into mysterious shooting of a man early Wednesday, authorities said.
Deputies were summoned to Skyline Vista Drive about 9:50 am. in response to reports of a person, described only as male, with a gun, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Carlos Herrera said.
Deputies found nothing unusual in the neighborhood, however a short time later, a man arrived at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton with a gunshot wound, the sergeant said. He was undergoing surgery Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators located a second apparent victim of the shooting who was not struck by gunfire Herrera said. They were working to develop more information about what took place.
WHITTIER -- A 25-year-old Norwalk man distraught over the death of his mother took a pickup truck from a worker for Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary at gunpoint Monday night, then flipped it as he tried to get out of the cemetery, authories say.
The suspect, whose name is being withheld until he can be interviewed, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and carjacking, according to the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.
Police received a call from the suspect's sister that he was drinking and on the way to his mother's grave. At 6:35 p.m., deputies received a call from cemetery security guards about a depressed man, Cummins said.
In a pair of blog posts a few months ago I casually referred to Baldwin Park as Bolen Parque. It upset and angered plenty of people in Hub City of the San Gabriel Valley and for that I apologize.
Especially ticked off were those in city government who don't want their town's good name besmirched by association with gang monikers.
Okay. I get it. It won't happen again.
As it was never my intent to offend the good people of Baldwin Park, those posts have been removed.
ARCADIA -- A 64-year-old Arcadia man suffered severe injuries Sunday when he was struck by a car while crossing Santa Anita Avenue, police said.
The crash was reported about 6:05 p.m. on Santa Anita Avenue at Alta Street, Arcadia police Lt. Bob Anderson said in a written statement.
The pedestrian was walking east across the street when he was struck by a northbound vehicle, Anderson said.
He was hospitalized with severe injuries to his right shoulder and chest, the lieutenant said, though his exact condition was unclear.
Nothing criminal was initially suspected, and the driver of the vehicle, a 53-year-old Temple City man, was not cited or arrested.
The crash is being investigated by the Arcadia Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Team.
The crash was reported about 6:05 p.m. on Santa Anita Avenue at Alta Street, Arcadia police Lt. Bob Anderson said in a written statement.
The pedestrian was walking east across the street when he was struck by a northbound vehicle, Anderson said.
He was hospitalized with severe injuries to his right shoulder and chest, the lieutenant said, though his exact condition was unclear.
Nothing criminal was initially suspected, and the driver of the vehicle, a 53-year-old Temple City man, was not cited or arrested.
The crash is being investigated by the Arcadia Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Team.
PASADENA -- Officials rescued an exhausted elderly horse that became stuck in a streambed Sunday.The incident was reported shortly after 4 p.m. in a stream just south of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
The 28-year-old horse, named "Chief," was being walked without a rider by a mother and her 9-year-old daughter who were riding different horses, she said.
The animal became stuck in the mud of a stream bed, Derderian said, and a search and rescue team was called in to help.
"It was up to its belly it mud," she said.Rescuers slid the horse onto a large board to free it from the mud, Derderian said said, but it was too exhausted and weak to stand.
Officials kept the horse lying on its side for about an hour as they waited for a veterinarian to arrive.
The veterinarian examined the animal and gave it an injection, Derderian said. To its owner's delight, the horse was able to stand and go on its way.
PHOTOS courtesy of the Pasadena Fire Department
AZUSA -- A South El Monte man didn't notice a uniformed police officer Sunday as he vandalized a pay phone with gang graffiti, authorities said.
An officer managed to sneak up behind John Escamillo, 21, as he vandalized a pay phone about 11:45 a.m. near Foothill Boulevard and San Gabriel Avenue, Azusa police Sgt. Andy Sutcliffe said in a written statement.
"The officer walked up behind Escamillo without being seen and arrested him without resistance," Sutcliffe said.
He was booked at the Azusa Police Department's jail before being released with a citation, police said.
A new wave of an old Canada-based scam in which con artists trick elderly residents out of money by claiming to be imprisoned grandchildren has been working its way through the San Gabriel Valley in recent months.
Two elderly West Covina residents and an elderly Arcadia resident have reported being conned out of more than $31,000 in January in so-called "grandparent scam," investigators said.
West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said officials are concerned this type of scam may go unreported in many cases.
"It is believed that this crime generally does not get reported because the victim is either embarrassed that they fell for the scam or they know that the chances of getting their money back is minimal," he said.
But the more victims come forward, the more clues detectives will have to work with, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said.
An Arcadia couple was duped out of more than $17,000 between Jan. 25 and 27 by two con artists posing as their grandson, Le Veque said.
The scammer told the husband and wife, ages 83 and 80, that his friend was in a Mexican jail for possession of marijuana and he needed bail money, he said. The con artist told the victims not to tell their children about it.
Follow-up calls came from the "grandson," as well as another man claiming to be a San Diego police sergeant who provided information on how to send money, police said.
A similar crime was reported in Arcadia on Oct. 19 in which a man was tricked into sending $7,500 to people who claimed to represent the U.S. Embassy in Spain.
The crooks told the man his grandson had been arrested and needed bail money. After complying, the man learned his grandson had never been to Spain.
Unsuccessful attempts at the scam were reported to Arcadia police around the same time.
West Covina police detectives are investigating two similar crimes reported in their city in January.
A man called an 80-year-old womanJan. 28 saying he was her grandson and had been in a drunken driving crash but the judge would drop the charges if he paid for the property damage to the other person's car, Lopez said. A second con artist posing as the grandson's lawyer convinced her to wire $4,758 to the Dominican Republic, where he claimed the victim of the crash lived.
"The victim in this case thought the caller sounded like her grandson on the phone," Lopez said.
"The victim's grandson was contacted after the money was sent," Lopez said. "He was never arrested by anyone."
A week earlier on Jan. 21, a 78-year-old woman was called by a someone claiming to be a San Diego police sergeant. The man said her grandson was in jailand needed court fees and bail money, and convinced her to wire a total of $9,450 in two installments.
She, too, later learned her grandson had not been arrested.
Authorities were looking into the similarities between the scams reported in Arcadia and West Covina.
All the phone numbers given to victims have Canadian area codes. The scammers often know the name of the grandchild they are impersonating, officials said, though it was unclear how the information was being gathered or the how the victims were being chosen.
The con artists have been known to cry and apologize for not calling more often before relating tales of woe and asking for money, Le Veque said.
"They're going to prey on emotions, the fact that maybe they'll believe it is indeed a grandson or grandchild," he said.
Though the grandparent scam has been seeing a resurgence in the San Gabriel Valley, it has been going on for years.
In October 2009, a 75-year-old Whittier man wired $2,800 to a con artist who convinced him that his nephew was ordered by a judge to pay for damages to a rental car after a traffic collision in Toronto, Canada.
He was about to send thousands of dollars more when an alert Wal-Mart employee tipped him off that he was being scammed.
Anyone who receives a call claiming a relative is in jail is advised to ask what department arrested them, then look up that agency's phone number and call to verify the story.
Officials advise not to accept a phone number from the "relative," as it will likely connect to another con artist who will pose as a police representative.
Since the con artists appear to be based outside the United States, the crimes are admittedly difficult to prosecute, investigators said. Additionally, the con artists tend to use prepaid cell phones and fraudulent names.
With solid leads, however, local authorities said they may be able to work with foreign authorities to bring the scammers to justice.
COVINA -- A pre-Super Bowl police checkpoint resulted in seven arrests, 28 vehicle impounds and 24 tickets late Saturday, but turned up no impaired drivers, authorities said.
A total of 1,600 cars were screened through the checkpoint, which was held between 6 p.m. and midnight in the southbound lanes of the 500 block of Azusa Avenue, Covina police Lt. David Povero said.
Seven people were arrested for driving with a suspended license and other offenses, though none of the arrests were for driving under the influence, the lieutenant said.
Police also issued 24 tickets to unlicensed drivers and impounded 28 cars for various violations, Povero said.
The checkpoint was funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety.
AZUSA -- Police chased down and arrested a 15-year-old alleged graffiti vandal late Saturday, authorities said.
An Azusa police gang officer was patrolling about 10:40 p.m. when he noticed the teen spray-painting graffiti on the wall of a business in the 300 block of North Azusa Avenue, Azusa police Cpl. Rick Hayden said in a written statement.
"As the officer approached, the teen saw the officer and a short foot pursuit ensued with the teen hiding in a backyard," he said. The teen, later identified as an Azusa resident, was soon arrested without further incident.
After being booked, Hayden said, the teen was released to a guardian with a written promise to appear in court.
The value of the graffiti damage was estimated at $200.
Hayden said Azusa police have a "zero tolerance" policy when it comes to graffiti, and anyone who witnesses a vandalism is encouraged to call the police.
"The City of Azusa also seeks restitution from convicted graffiti vandals and/or their parents to pay for the cost of repairing the damage," he added.
BASSETT -- A man who was being sought by officials on suspicion of domestic violence was stabbed and beaten Saturday by the brother and mother of the woman he allegedly assaulted the day before, authorities said.
Roger Sapien, 27, of Bassett was booked on suspicion of domestic violence after being treated for his injuries at a hospital, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
Sgt. Nabeel Mitri said deputies responded to reports of an attack about 5:30 p.m. in the 200 block of South Collwood Avenue but found no victim.
Officials at a Baldwin Park hospital notified sheriff's deputies a short time later that a man who had been beaten and stabbed had arrived at the emergency room, he said.
The initial investigation indicated that Sapien, who was being sought on suspicion of domestic violence against his girlfriend Friday in Industry, showed up at a birthday party being held for their child, sergeant said.
Sapien was confronted by his girlfriend's brother and mother, he said. The brother allegedly stabbed him in the head and buttocks, while the mother is accused of hitting him over the head with an unknown metal object.
Deputies continued seeking Sapien's alleged attackers Sunday.
According to sheriff's booking records, Sapien was being held without bail at the sheriff's Industry Station. He was due for arraignment Tuesday in El Monte Superior Court.
WEST COVINA -- Authorities arrested two auto burglary suspects early Saturday with the help of a police K-9, while a third suspect remained at large.
Tony Johnson, 18, of West Covina and a 17-year-old West Covina boy were booked on suspicion of breaking into three cars in the 1700 block of Kerry Court, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said.
Officers responded to reported of three young men tampering with vehicles when they spotted the men and realized that three cars had been burglarized, the lieutenant said. All three fled from police.
Johnson and the teen suspect were found in the area and arrested with the help of a police dog when they refused orders to surrender, Sevilla said.
Johnson was bitten on the buttocks, while the teen was bitten in the head, he said. Both were treated for their injuries at at a hospital before being booked.
Police recovered a duffel bag near the scene of the break-ins containing allegedly stolen items.
The burglary suspect who escaped was described only as a Latino man in his late teens.
The teen suspect was released to his parents with a written promise to appear in court, while Johnson was released from jail Saturday after posting $20,000 bail, according to police and sheriff's booking records.
LA PUENTE -- Deputies arrested two gang members late Friday and seized a MAC-10 automatic pistol, authorities said.
Adan Tercero, 46, and Sergio Zamudio, 39, both members of a Bassett street gang, were booked on suspicion of being ex-felons in possession of a firearm, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Nabeel Mitri said. Additional weapons charges were expected to be added for possessing the illegal and powerful gun.
Someone called deputies about 8:30 p.m. to report seeing to men with a gun near Amar Road and Puente Avenue, the sergeant said.
Tercero was seen entering a nearby restaurant, Mariscos Playa Azul, 13712 Amar Road, he said.
Authorities believed he intended to exit out a back door, but the business does not have one, Mitri said.
He then ditched the loaded weapon in the restaurant's kitchen sink and changed his clothes in the bathroom before ultimately surrendering to deputies, he said.
Another man who has been with Tercero, later identified as Zamudio, was also found in the area and arrested.
According to sheriff's booking records, Tercero was being held in lieu of $285,000 bail, while Zamudio, a parolee, was being held without bail.
This bizarre and grisly story comes courtesy of City News Service:
MAYWOOD -- The 19-year-old Maywood man who walked into the Huntington Park police station with the news he had butchered and frozen his mother remained behind bars Saturday.The body does appear to have been dismembered to some extent," Lt. Brian Elias of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said.The suspect was identified at midday as Moises Meraz-Espinoza, 19, said Sgt. Diane Hecht of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau. Meraz-Espinoza was booked for suspicion of murder and held without bail.He went to the Huntington Park police station, which is staffed by sheriff's deputies under contract to the city, on Friday and allegedly confessed to an officer or detective there yesterday, sheriff's deputies said."This afternoon about 1 o'clock, a male about 20 years old walked into a local police department here and said that he had murdered someone and that the body was at the location," sheriff's Lt. Mike Rosson of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.Neighbors told broadcast outlets that the mother and son shared the apartment where the frozen, dismembered body was found.Hecht said the sheriff's department was releasing no further details.
PASADENA -- A group of teenagers robbed two other teenage boys Friday near Washington Park.
The crime took place about 2 p.m. near Los Robles Avenue and Washington Boulevard, but was not reported until late Friday night, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
Two 16-year-old boys were walking when they were approached by a group of black teens, ages 16 to 17, the lieutenant said. One of the was on a bicycle.
The group demanded a baseball cap from one of the victims, and cash from the other, he said.
No weapons were seen, and no injuries were reported.
Statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office:
LOS ANGELES - Saying it would "wreak havoc" in the criminal justice system, District Attorney Steve Cooley warned today that a state budget proposal to transfer thousands of convicted felons and parolees to county custody and supervision threatens the safety of citizens.The realignment proposal is a public safety nightmare," Cooley told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee during a late afternoon hearing in the Board of Supervisors hearing room at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration.The hearing is on Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposal that would transfer responsibility for specified "lower-level offenders" and parolees from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to individual counties.Cooley noted that Los Angeles County already faces a severe and chronic jail overcrowding problem that prompted a more than 20-year-old ongoing federal court-mandated population cap on the jail population. This has resulted in many incidents of early release of county jail prisoners over the years.The District Attorney said that the county's jails, according to the Sheriff's own statistics, house about 18,000 inmates. About 90 percent are pre-trial detainees, leaving some 1,800 beds for post-conviction sentencing. Filling those beds now are those sentenced to misdemeanor terms, those sentenced to jail for violating probation, or defendants who have been given a jail term as a condition of a felony probation. These sentenced prisoners are routinely released early.Cooley estimated that under the Governor's proposal, up to 9,000 convicted felons would be required to serve their sentences in Los Angeles County. "There is no room in the jails for them," he said. "Nor is there room for an estimated 6,500 Los Angeles County parole violators who would receive jail terms in lieu of prison under the proposal," he added.The District Attorney warned that under the Governor's budget proposal, "Society will not be adequately protected. Convicted felons will not be adequately punished...Tens of thousands of convicted felons will be on the streets with minimal supervision, threatening all Californians."...The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and all other criminal justice entities from law enforcement to the courts would require substantial additional staffing to handle the predictable, significant increase in criminal filings due to felons serving very little or no time in custody," Cooley warned as he urged the subcommittee to reject the budget proposal.
PICO RIVERA -- A Norwalk Superior Court jury convicted two Pico Rivera gang members of first-degree murder Friday for the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Pico Rivera boy.
The jury also found true the special allegation that Edward Ortega, 23, and Dennis Flores, 20, committed the Nov. 19, 2009 murder of Erick Roche Jr. for the benefit of a criminal street gang -- Rivera 13, according to court officials.
They are due back in Norwalk Superior Court for sentencing on Feb. 25.
Roche was found shot to death near the entrance to an alley in the 6400 block of Rosemead Boulevard in Pico Rivera.
Flores confronted Roche and asked him what gang he was affiliated with, a homicide detective testified during a preliminary hearing.
When Roche replied that he was not in a gang, Ortega shot him twice, the detective said.
Both killers face the possibility of life behind bars when sentenced later this month.
From City News Service:
PASADENA -- A Pasadena resident believed to be the so-called "Drywaller Bandit" -- a serial thief responsible for a six-month spree of armed bank robberies in Los Angeles and San Diego counties -- was arrested today following his 11th alleged holdup.About 9:15 a.m., a man wearing a dust mask and armed with a pistol robbed a Chase Bank branch office in the 100 block of North El Camino Real in Encinitas, San Diego County sheriff's Lt. Jim Walker said.A few minutes later, arriving deputies spotted a man matching the description of the robber walking to the east near the bank. Seeing the patrol personnel, he broke into a run.The deputies caught up with the suspect, later identified as 39-year-old John Leendert Oskam, a short distance away and took him into custody.Oskam was taken to the Encinitas Sheriff's Station to be interviewed. He was expected to be booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center and arraigned in U.S. District Court in San Diego.The "Drywaller Bandit," so named by investigators due to the type of construction-style mask he wore during his crimes, is believed to have robbed two Pasadena banks in August, as well as banks in Encinitas and Oceanside last year and this year.
From City News Service:
POMONA -- A former county health inspector -- who was convicted last month of sexually battering the female owner of a Pomona doughnut shop -- was sentenced Thursday to 115 days in jail and ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.Pomona Superior Court Judge David Brougham also ordered Magdy Naiem Tawadros, 51, of Ontario, to serve three years on probation, pay $1,247 in fines and penalty assessments and stay away from the victim and her shop for three years.In a letter read in court on behalf of the victim and her husband, the two said their family was "feeling so relieved now that the jury has found Mr. Tawadros guilty." "... In our view, he has shown no remorse for what he did and he has fabricated a gross public lie intended to prove that he was innocent and to turn the tables on his victims, our family," the couple's letter says. "He used his advantageous position as a county public code enforcer to commit a criminal act while he was on duty."Tawadros targeted the woman on March 24, 2009, while conducting what was supposed to be a routine inspection of the shop on Temple Boulevard. She went to police five days later, according to Pomona police Sgt. Horace Blehr.Videotape showed the man hugging the woman inside the store.Tawadros was fired by the Los Angeles County Department of Health on April 14, 2009, according to the agency.He was convicted Jan. 26 of a misdemeanor sexual battery charge and was ordered to be taken into custody after the jury's verdict. His first trial had ended in a mistrial.
WHITTIER -- Deputies arrested a convicted sex offender, retired army major and former White House official Wednesday on suspicion of failing to disclose he was a convicted sex offender when reading to children at an elementary school in an unincorporated county area near Whittier.
John Davis, 56, of Whittier was arrested and released with a misdemeanor citation, Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Patrick Maxwell said.
"(Davis) volunteered to read to elementary school children at Los Altos Elementary School while wearing his Army uniform on November 10, 2010," Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
"Davis is a a registered sex offender convicted out of San Diego County in 2000 for a felony violation of attempted lewd acts with a minor under the age of 14," the statement continued.
The school was unaware of Davis' conviction when he was allowed to read to school children, officials added.
"It's a concern to me where he is going to schools as a registered sex offender, wearing a high-ranking military uniform and portraying himself as a person of trust," Capt. Patrick Maxwell of the sheriff's Norwalk Station said.
"I can assure everyone that the kids are safe," Los Altos principal Martha Mestanza-Rojas said. "The Los Altos students have been safe at every point. And (Davis) will no longer be allowed on campus."
The principal added he was never left unsupervised with students.
Police discovered the issue after a sheriff's deputy, who also volunteered to read to children at the school on Nov. 10, recognized him as a sex offender on Jan. 28 while verifying addresses of local sex offenders.
Davis participated in "heroes day" at the school on Nov. 10 to celebrate Veteran's Day, in which people such as police and soldiers were invited to visit, Mestanza-Rojas said.
A army veteran of 20 years, Davis is a former Director of the Emergency Actions Branch at the White House and director of the national Emergency Broadcast System.
During the event, Davis and others read to the school's students, she said. It was a one-time event, and Davis has not participated in any other events at the school.
The principal said she was disappointed that Davis did not disclose his status as a sex offender.
"Of course, I think that was his responsibility," she said.
The school does not do background checks on people who are only going to be on campus for a very short time, Mestanza-Rojas said.
"There is a process for volunteers who are going to be long-term," she said. "It would especially be the case if you are going to be unsupervised with our students."
The principal said the school would be sending a letter home to parents Friday to explain what happened.
Davis was convicted in 2000 in San Diego County after being arrested in a San Diego Police Department Internet sex sting, according to news reports at the time.
He reportedly corresponded with a woman, who was actually an undercover detective, believing the woman would allow him to have sex with her 12- and 14-year-old daughters. The prosecutor said Davis had indicated in his correspondences that it was a lifelong dream of his to have sex with underage girls.
PHOTO of John Davis courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
SANTA FE SPRINGS -- A crash involving a police car and two civilian cars sent a police officer and two others to the hospital Wednesday, authorities said.
Whittier police Officer Brian Casaol suffered moderate injuries, Cruz Ponce, 40, of Whittier suffered moderate injuries, a 69-year-old Whittier woman suffered major injuries, and a 31-year-old Whittier man was not hurt, California Highway Patrol Officer David Schueller said in a written statement. All here in stable condition when hospitalized, police added.
The crash took place about 6:50 p.m. in the intersection of Bloomfield and Florence avenues, officials said.
The Whittier Police Department officer was northbound on Bloomfield Avenue responding to a call of a downed bicyclist with his emergency lights and siren on when the crash occurred, Whittier police Lt. Steve Dean said.
The officer stopped at a red light at Florence Avenue before proceeding through the intersection at about 10 mph, Schueller said. Ponce was driving a 1989 Ford Thunderbird westbound on Florence Avenue with the 69-year-old woman as a passenger.
"(Ponce) failed to yield to Officer Casaol's patrol vehicle's emergency lights and siren and entered the intersection, striking the passenger-side door of the patrol unit," Schueller said.
The impact pushed the patrol car into a 2000 Cadillac DeVille being driven by a 31-year-old Whittier man, he added. The driver of the Cadillac was not injured.
WEST WHITTIER -- An anonymous tip left through the Crime Stoppers program led deputies to make four arrests, seize methamphetamine and recover a stolen car and about $30,000 worth of suspected stolen goods Wednesday from a home in unincorporated West Whittier, authorities said.
Alejandro Salmones, a 37-year-old probationer who who lived at the house where the bust was made, was booked on suspicion possession of methamphetamine for sales, possession of stolen property and possession of a handgun while in possession of drugs, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Anthony Romo said.
Three others were also arrested when officials followed up on a tip and carried out a probation compliance check at Salmones' home in the 10400 block Cliota Street, the sergeant said.
Stefanie Rios, 25, of La Puente and Chasen Nino, 25, of Pico Rivera were booked on suspicion of possession of a stolen car, Romo said. Nino was a wanted parolee.
Anthony Velasquez, 35, Rosemead, was booked on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine.
The Wednesday morning bust was the result of an anonymous tip left with Crime Stoppers last month, officials added.
"The tip was that they were selling narcotics and exchanging stolen merchandise," Romo said.
Deputies discovered about eight grams of methamphetamine and about $30,000 worth of suspected stolen goods at the home, Romo said, in addition to the stolen car Rios, Nino and Velasquez drove to the house.
Investigators are now working to reunite the stolen goods, including items such as computer equipment, electronics and tools, with their rightful owners.
Those who have had property stolen in the area can call the sheriff's Pico Rivera Station at 562-949-2421 to see if their belongings may be among those recovered Wednesday, Romo said.
He added that it is always a good idea to place identifying markings on valuable items and write down their serial numbers for easy identification in case of theft.
The Crime Stoppers tip line can be reached at 888-222-8477.
PICO RIVERA -- Officials released a composite sketch Wednesday of a man who sexually assaulted a woman and slashed her face with a knife last month.
A woman was in an alley near Leslie's Swimming Pool Supply, 8434 Rosemead Boulevard, shortly after 7 p.m. on Jan. 24 when she was approached by the attacker, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
"The suspect threatened the victim and sexually assaulted her," sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
"During the assault, the suspect slashed the victim with a small knife, then fled," the statement continued.
The woman suffered a non-life-threatening cut to her cheek, officials said.
Authorities described the attacker as a Latino man in his mid-20s, about 6 feet tall and 260 pounds. He had bushy eyebrows and spoke with a Spanish accent.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Pico Rivera Station.
Written statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office:
LOS ANGELES - Convicted serial killer Chester Dewayne Turner, who was sentenced to death in 2007 for the murders of 10 women and an unborn child over a 10-year period, was charged today with four additional murders in the 1980's and '90's.
Turner, who is on death row, will be returned from state prison to face the new capital murder case, said Deputy District Attorney Bobby Grace, who prosecuted Turner four years ago. His arraignment date will be announced later.
Turner, 44 (dob 11-5-66), is charged with the June 5, 1987 murder of Elandra Bunn; the Feb. 22, 1997 murder of Cynthia Annette Johnson; the Dec. 16, 1992 murder of Mary Edwards; and the Nov. 16, 1992 murder of Debra Williams. The complaint alleges the special circumstances of murder during commission of attempted rape. Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty for a second time against the convicted serial killer.
After Turner was convicted and sentenced to death in May 2007, Los Angeles police detectives from the Robbery Homicide Division continued to investigate the four unsolved murders in which Turner was identified as a suspect.
The four victims in the new case were found strangled to death, similar to the 10 earlier victims. All the victims were killed in South Los Angeles in the area know as the Figueroa Corridor.
In two of the murders, two other men were originally charged. David Allen Jones was convicted of the 1992 murder of Mary Edwards. After further DNA testing excluded Jones, the District Attorney's office asked the court to set aside that conviction. Jones was freed from prison in 2004.
Another man was charged with the 1997 murder of Cynthia Johnson. That case was later dismissed after DNA evidence excluded that suspect and identified Turner.
ROSEMEAD -- Sheriff's investigators continued seeking a van Wednesday that fled the scene of crash that killed a 19-year-old woman.
Yahing Ma, of Rosemead, died in Monday's 10:37 p.m. crash in the 3800 block of Walnut Grove Avenue, sheriff's and coroner's officials said.
A small, light-colored, imported minivan, such as a Toyota Sienna or a Nissan Quest, was headed northbound on Walnut Grove Avenue when it collided with Ma, who was walking in the roadway mid-block, Los Angeles County sheriff's Dep. Marvin Payne said.
The driver of the van did not stop to help Ma, who was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.
Witnesses described the van as possible white, silver or gray, Payne said. No description of the driver was available.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Temple Station Traffic Bureau at 626 292-3389.
BALDWIN PARK -- A teenager was knocked unconscious with a blow to the head from behind and robbed Tuesday, police said.
The crime took place about 6:50 p.m. at Central and Big Dalton avenues, Baldwin Park police Sgt. Darryl Kosaka said.
The teenage victim didn't see anything before he was attacked, the sergeant said. It was unclear whether he was struck with some type of weapon.
When he awoke, he found his iPod, cell phone and wallet were missing, Kosaka said. The injury was not believed to be serious.
From City News Service:
LOS ANGELES - A female sheriff's sergeant was awarded $211,700 Wednesday by a Los Angeles Superior Court jury, which determined that she endured about three years of sexual harassment by her one-time mentor at the Norwalk station.Jurors deliberated for about four hours before finding in favor of Sgt. Tera White and against the county and Lt. Patrick Valdez."I think my client will be pleased," plaintiff's counsel Timothy B. Sottile said, though the panel rejected White's claims that she was a victim of retaliation.White's lawyers argued the harassment against their client ranged from asking her out on dates to uninvited physical contact, including two forced kisses, while defense attorneys said criminal and internal investigations conducted into White's complaints exonerated Valdez.White filed her lawsuit in October 2008. According to her court papers, the 53-year-old began her law enforcement career with the Pasadena Police Department in 1987 as a civilian employee. She later graduated from the Sheriff's Academy and worked at various stations, including Altadena and San Dimas before moving to Norwalk as a patrol sergeant in 2005.Valdez was in charge of White's orientation and began tormenting her, according to her lawyers, who said she initially tried handling the problem without telling her superiors.When she eventually complained, she was transferred to the Sheriff's Department's Star Center in Whittier and given a position tantamount to a receptionist and normally held by interns in the training unit, her lawyers said.White is currently in another inferior position in which she proofreads documents and cannot earn overtime, her lawyers said.Defense attorney Catherine M. Mathers told jurors that Valdez, a married father of triplets, tried to help White when she first came to the Norwalk station. She was friendly at first, but later grew more "cold and distant," Mathers said.Although White tried to be promoted to lieutenant, she was passed over by another candidate who her superiors legitimately thought was a better fit for the position, Mathers said. It was then that White lodged her complaint about Valdez, Mathers said.Valdez's own promotion to lieutenant was delayed by the investigations against him, Mathers said. The attorney said Valdez started as a deputy in the 1980s and is a "dedicated member of the Sheriff's Department."
ARCADIA -- Police arrested an Arcadia man Tuesday after he went berserk inside a bank branch, authorities said.
Martirice Morning, 40, was booked on suspicion of making threats, resisting arrest, being under the influence of drugs, child endangerment and receiving stolen property, according to Arcadia police and sheriff's booking records.
He was believed to be under the influence of some type of drug when he entered the Wells Fargo bank branch at 1200 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia police Sgt. Dean Caputo said. Two children, ages 2 and 7, were left to wait in his car.
Morning then began swearing and screaming at bank employees, the sergeant said.
"He made quite a disturbance in the bank," Caputo said. "He was in their for quite a while yelling names at them."
The man was apparently enraged because he felt the bank staff was not treating him respectfully, he added.
Employees called the police, he said, and when Morning continued becoming more aggressive, tellers began activating their silent alarms.
Morning struggled with arriving officers who tried to detain him and was wrestled into custody, Caputo said.
The children were turned over to their mother, he said.
Inside Morning's car, officers found a lamp that they recognized from a local motel, police said.
Investigators quickly determined that Morning had recently stayed at that motel, and the lamp had been stolen from his room.
According to sheriff's booking records, Morning was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at the Arcadia Police Department's jail. He was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Pasadena Superior Court.
CONTRIBUTORS
|
| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
|
|
Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
Recent Comments
tdhorvvbj on Police urge caution after 'hot prowl' burglaries in Arcadia: q3IEQ1 jpwhaoekihsr ...
xuhjdatk on O.J.'s LONGEST RUN: eAX2b2 jwqhtyigctgf ...
ohbtkjhiljg on Alhambra man to stand trial again in slaying of San Gabriel woman: puP4cv ofypvzcrjupj ...
Website hosting forum on Hector Urias, El Monte auto racing legend, shot to death: I am happy to find this post very useful for me, as it contains lot of ...
Vacation Rental Guide on Police continue seeking man who sexually assaulted South Pasadena woman in her home: Hi, just wanted to say, I enjoyed this post. It was funny. Keep on pos ...
uyydjratnrl on La Habra man charged with $5 million fraud becomes fugitive after missing court appearance: aaGKez njdpuentevog ...
iwtqqmjyq on Checkpoints planned this weekend in Arcadia: ftF4uw zanjamhjlefp ...
rbcymmtahdy on Officials: Suspect shot by CHP in Industry brandished handgun: YTEOrY qeacciygfwxx ...
ychkeacf on Auto theft suspects arrested in Pasadena: VZNCHr qgjirgceqrzn ...