211: February 2008 Archives

A man suspected of cultivating Marijuana was targeted by a couple of 211 specialists, police told reporter Dan Abendschein. Here's an excerpt:

PASADENA - An armed robbery took place Thursday night at the apartment of a man authorities described as a pot dealer and grower.

Police confiscated about 200 plants of marijuana and several guns from the apartment of the victim, who was confronted around 6:10 p.m. by three armed suspects who entered his home, according to Lt. Alex Uribe of the Pasadena Police Department.

The victim was held captive while two of the men searched the apartment for cash, said Uribe.

He added that the detectives suspected the suspects knew the apartment was a place they would find cash.

"We don't know for sure yet, but I'd venture to guess they knew that there was dealing going on there," said Uribe.

The apartment is located at 365 Hastings Ranch Road, said Uribe.

While the suspects were in the home, a second victim knocked on the door, said suspects. While the suspects were taking him inside, the first victim broke through a window and fled, injuring himself in the process, Uribe said.

He went to a neighboring apartment and called the police, Uribe added.

The victim has not yet been arrested for marijuana cultivation or sales, said Uribe, but he said he expected the arrest to come soon.

Azusa may have captured the Bluetooth Bandit within the last 30 minutes. A man matching the description just robbed a Washington Mutual at 1188 East Alosta in Azusa.

More details as we learn them.

UPDATE: 6:20 P.M.

The Bluetooth was not caught. He somehow escaped, police now say.

The shooting death of Ana Maria Acosta, 32, outside her parents' Monterey Park home Monday night stands as another reminder of the nature of temporary restraining orders - sometimes they aren't enough.

Police say Acosta's estranged husband, Aaron Raigoza, 34, is a "person of interest" in the shooting, and witnesses placed him at the scene of the crime.

Turns out Raigoza was named in a TRO filed by Acosta.

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Attorney Denise Wright, who briefly represented Raigoza, a high school teacher in Huntington Park, wouldn't discuss her former client. Wright did recall Acosta as a "lovely, lovely, reasonable, level-headed woman."

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Wright said she makes a living representing Los Angeles Unified School District employees and teachers like Raigoza.

"I represent a lot of teachers," Wright said. "They are the nicest people."

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A man who lives in an apartment complex near King Taco in Baldwin Park called in early Wednesday to talk about a shooting in his neighborhood.

He had a ton of reasons for not wanting his name published, but we'll boil it down to this: He fears for his safety.

The shooting, which police characterized as a drive-by, resulted in the death of a 29-year-old man, according to Baldwin Park police Lt. David Reynoso.

The now-deceased man was reportedly walking on the sidewalk when he was shot twice in the abdomen, once in the thigh and once in the left arm.

Nearby, the caller and several others hit the floor.

"There was like eight to 20 shots," the man recalled. "I thought the first one was an M-80. Boom, boom, boom, boom. They were loud. We didn't know if the shooter was going to come over the wall to the apartment building where I live. Everybody was really scared."

The City Council apparently took the shooting into consideration late Wednesday in a discussion about the future of police Chief Edward Lopez.

Tania Chatila, who covers Baldwin Park for this newspaper, reported a conversation she had Wednesday afternoon with Councilwoman Marlen Garcia.

"She could not comment on Lopez's job security Wednesday afternoon, but did say they were going to be taking everything `into account in evaluating the chief,"' Chatila said.

Including Tuesday's killing, Garcia told Chatila.

"It's really a matter of looking at the community at large and ensuring we are providing the best programs and processes to provide a safe community."

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A woman was injured and shots were fired in a credit union takeover in Santa Fe Springs.

The robbers apparently bluffed their way into the location by pretending to make a delivery - in a Buick Le Sabre!

Veteran police reporter Ruby Gonzales said the heist "smacks of an inside job."

"Why hit a credit union in a fairly secure location when you can just hit one in a shopping center?"

Police said they've made one arrest in the case and more are pending.

Sources tell us the Wrong Slip Bandit is in custody.  

His name: Noel Arellano (dob:7/8/1974). Not much more is known at this time. We're fleshing out a story on the case.

Arrellano was arrested Tuesday morning in Norwalk. he is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail a hearing is scheduled for Friday morning.