245: February 2012 Archives
PICO RIVERA - A 17-year-old Pico Rivera boy was shot in the shoulder after a passenger in a sport utility vehicle fired several times at a group of teens Tuesday.
The shooting broke out at 12:55 p.m. on Washington and Passons boulevards. Sheriff's gang deputies believe the suspects are gang members.
Sgt. Mark Bailey said the shooter shouted the name of a Pico Rivera gang before firing at two boys and two girls who were at a bus stop.
But he said the victims aren't gang members.
Before the shooting, Bailey said a green Pathfinder stopped by the teens and the driver asked where they were from. The four denied being in a gang.
It appeared the man left and returned a short time later with a passenger, investigators said.
The passenger pointed a gun at the group, yelled out a gang's name and shot three times.
The injured teen ended up with a bullet lodged in his shoulder, however the wound did not appear life-threatening, Lt. Robert Smith said.
The shooter was described as a Latino in his 20s with black hair that was slicked back. He wore a black shirt.
The driver was also described as a Latino man in his 20s who was wearing a gray shirt, officials said.
- Staff report
An armed man who was shot by West Covina police after a high-speed chase Sunday had his 4-year-old son with him during the wild pursuit in a stolen SUV, police said Monday.
Freddy Silva, 31, allegedly drove the wrong way on the 10 Freeway, opened fire on police with a shotgun, and crashed into a house in Pomona, before he left his son and carjacked second car. He was then shot by police and remains hospitalized.
Silva had been acquitted 10 days before on an assault case involving a firearm, police also said Monday.
Lt. Dave Dolson of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said Silva, whose last known address is in Claremont, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remained in critical condition Monday at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.
"He was shot once in the upper torso with a department-issued shotgun," Dolson said.
The Sheriff's Homicide Bureau is handling the investigation because it is an officer-involved shooting.
Dolson said Silva's son is in protective custody with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. He didn't know where Silva was heading Sunday before encountering police.
According to online court record and authorities, a Pomona Superior Court jury acquitted Silva on Feb. 16 of charges related to an assault case.
West Covina police shot and seriously wounded a man Sunday following a wild high-speed chase to Pomona during which he opened fire on police with a shotgun, drove the wrong way on the 10 Freeway, crashed into a house and carjacked a second vehicle, authorities said.
The suspect was taken to a hospital following the shooting, where he was listed in critical condition, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Tony Moore.
Sheriff's officials initially said the suspect had died at the hospital following the shooting.
"That information was reported to us incorrectly," Moore said. "The suspect is not deceased and is listed in critical condition."
The shooting took place about 4 p.m. on Alvarado Street, just west of Park Avenue, officials said.
The incident began about 15 minutes prior, when a police officer spotted an SUV that had been reported carjacked driving in the area of Temple Avenue and Amar Road in West Covina, West Covina police Lt. Alan Henley said. The SUV failed to pull over for the officer, initiating a pursuit at high-speeds.
When the chase reached the area of Amar Road and Amber Valley Drive in Walnut, "The suspect pointed a shotgun out the window and fired at officers," Henley said.
The suspect was believed to have fired one or two blasts from his shotgun, police added. No officers were struck.
The pursuit continued onto the 10 Freeway, where the suspect drove on the wrong side of the roadway into Pomona, Henley said. At several times during the chase, the fleeing driver pointed his shotgun back toward the pursuing officers and made "furtive movements," he added.
The fleeing SUV exited the freeway and crashed into a house in the area of Park and McKinley avenues, officials said. The suspect then allegedly carjacked a second vehicle, a white Honda sedan.
Authorities late Sunday could not confirm initial reports from the scene that a child had been left behind in the crashed SUV.
The white car rammed a police car before the pursuit came to an end on Alvarado Street, Henley said.
The circumstances of what took place next remained under investigation, officials said, however an officer-involved shooting took place in which the suspect was struck in the upper body.
West Covina and Pomona police swarmed the scene in the minutes following the shooting and shut down Alvarado Street in the area where the shooting occurred.
Maria Hernandez, 40, said she was in her home when she heard a single gunshot and looked outside to see what was going on.
By the time she looked outside, police were already taking the wounded man into custody, she said. "He was yelling."
She added the white Honda the suspect has been driving continued moving without a driver until it struck a curb.
The wounded suspect's name was not released Sunday. Witnesses said he appeared to be a Latino man in his 30s.
As is common practice with officer-involved shootings involving Los Angeles County police agencies, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau is leading the investigation, officials said.
WEST COVINA -- An 18-year-old man suffered a stab wound to his arm Saturday during a fight between two groups of teenagers at the Westfield West Covina mall, police said.
A group of four teenagers, who were described as members of a "tagging crew," became involved in an altercation with three other young men in the 1000 block of West Covina Parkway, at the southeast end of the mall, about 6:20 p.m., West Covina police Lt. Jerry Pearman said.
During a fistfight between the two groups, one of the taggers pulled a knife, the lieutenant said, stabbing one of the other combatants in the arm.
The injured teen was taken to a hospital for treatment, Pearman said.
Police searched the area, but the suspects were not found, he said.
The stabber was described as a Latino boy of about 17 years, of thin build and with a shaved head.
DUARTE - A man who was shot and wounded by a parole officer Friday was trying to rob the ununiformed officer at knifepoint, authorities said.
The wounded suspect's name was not released as he remained hospitalized in stable condition, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mary Leef said in a written statement. He was expected to be booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, attempted robbery and violating parole.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officers were searching for a parole violator about 2:20 p.m. in the 1900 block of Huntington Drive when they believed they spotted him, Leef said.
A plain-clothed parole officer stood on a sidewalk in an attempt to confirm that the man was the parolee they were looking for, she said.
"While doing so, the suspect approached the officer, pulled a knife on him and demanded the officer's cell phone," Leef said.
"The parole officer identified himself at which time the suspect came at him with the knife," according to the lieutenant. "In fear for his safety, the parole officer fired multiple times, striking the suspect several times in the upper torso."
The parole officer was not hurt in the incident, and the knife was recovered from the scene, officials said.
The massive on-scene investigation that followed the shooting lasted more than 12 hours and kept residents of several nearby apartment buildings out of their homes overnight as the area remained cordoned off by authorities.
Robert Westmoreland, 69, said he was unable to return to his home until 4 a.m.
He said he left his apartment about 11 a.m. Friday, prior to the shooting.
When he returned at 3 p.m., police told him he could not enter the area because of the investigation. After waiting six hours, he elected to go stay with relatives in Pasadena.
At 4 a.m., Westmoreland said, deputies allowed him to park his car at a nearby bank and walk back to his home.
"It was inconvenient, but I understand the officers got to do what they got to do," he said. "They've got a job to do."
Traffic was shut down between Highland Avenue and Mt. Olive Drive following the shooting.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau is spearheading the investigation into the shooting.
EL MONTE -- A Rosemead man pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of attempted murder and mayhem stemming from a knife-attack on his brother, authorities said.
Thomas Chu, 58, was ordered to return to El Monte Superior Court Feb. 29 for a preliminary hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court officials said.
He's accused of slashing and seriously wounding his 59-year-old brother Feb. 11 at the brothers' home in the 8800 block of Jenny Way.
The brother suffered slashes to his face, among other injuries.
Investigators have said the argument stemmed from the borrowing of a car.
According to county booking records, Chu was being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
NORWALK -- A man accused of attempted murder was released from jail Thursday after a second jury failed to reach a verdict in his case, officials said.
Joshua Michael Silva, 26, had been charged with attempted murder in connection with a June 1, 2010 shooting that wounded a 30-year-old man in the 7700 block of Washington Avenue in Whittier. He was listed as a transient at the time of his arrest.
After one jury announced it could not reach a verdict in September, a second trial was held for Silva, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
A second trial also ended in a hung jury Feb. 7, Robison said, with jurors deadlocked 8 to 4 in favor of conviction, Robison said.
At a hearing Thursday, Norwalk Superior Court Judge Philip Hickok granted a defense motion to dismiss the case, she said.
Following the decision, Silva was released from jail just before 9 a.m. Thursday, county booking records show.
NORWALK -- A 23-year-old El Monte man was sentenced to 36 years to life in prison Thursday for the 2009 attempted murder of a Bellflower woman, who was drugged, had her throat slashed and was stabbed and beaten before she was tossed over the edge of Turnbull Canyon and left for dead.
Vincent Mendoza showed no reaction to the sentence, handed down by Norwalk Superior Court Judge Michael Cowell, who noted the "high degree of viciousness and cruelty" displayed in the attack on then-20-year-old Christina Martinez.
Defense Attorney Harriet Hawkins argued the court had discretion not to sentence her client on each individual count of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
An allegation that Mendoza personally used a weapon, a knife, was also found to be true by a jury last December. He is one of three men convicted in the case.
Cowell agreed Thursday that he had the option to sentence Mendoza on one count, but said the severity of the crime demanded more.
ROSEMEAD -- A man slashed and seriously injured his brother Saturday during an argument at their Rosemead home, authorities said.
Thomas Chu, 57, was expected to be booked on suspicion of attempted murder and mayhem in connection with the attack, which took place about 6 p.m. at a house in the 8800 block of Jenny Way, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Jim Dexter said.
Chu became involved in an argument with his 59-year-old brother regarding the borrowing of a car, the sergeant said.
He then pulled a knife and slashed his older brother on his face, back and arms, Dexter said.
The wounded man suffered serious injuries, though they were not believed to be life-threatening, officials said.
The allegation of mayhem against Chu, legally defined as the malicious disfiguring or disabling of another person, results from the wounds the victim suffered to his face, officials said.
Chu surrendered without a struggle when deputies arrived, Dexter said. He was hospitalized for a pre-existing medical condition prior to be being booked into jail.
PICO RIVERA -- Three men robbed another man at gunpoint and slashed his hand with a knife Thursday before fleeing the scene in a car with a "Baby on Board" sticker on the back, authorities said.
The crime took place just after 1:20 p.m. at Coolhurst Drive and Pico Vista Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Ernest Bille said.
A man in his 20s was walking when he was approached by three robbers in a white, 4-door, 90s-model Honda Accord with a "Baby on Board" sticker adorning the rear, the sergeant said.
At least two of the robbers exited the car and demanded cash from the victim, who turned over about $15, the sergeant said. A struggle took place during the robbery, during which the victim suffered a minor slash to his hand.
In addition to a knife, the robbers also brandished a handgun during the crime, Bille said.
The robbers were initially described only as a white man, a Latino man and a black man, he added.
The suspects' car was last seen heading south on Pico Vista Road toward Washington Boulevard.
EL MONTE -- Police are seeking a man accused of stabbing another man during a fight at a fast-food restaurant Wednesday.
A man, his wife and a friend of his wife met about 7 a.m. at a McDonald's restaurant at Valley Boulevard and Baldwin Avenue, El Monte police Lt. Dan Burlingham said.
The husband, a man in his mid- to late-20s, was confronted by his wife's friend and a fight ensued, the lieutenant said.
The suspect pulled a knife and stabbed the husband three to four times in the neck and upper torso, Burlingham said. Police were looking into the possibility two men who were with the suspect also jumped into the fray.
The wounded man was hospitalized in stable condition.
The knife-wielding man and his friends fled the scene before officers arrived and remained at-large Thursday, police said.
The attacker was initially described only as a Latino man in his late-20s.
Anyone with information is asked to call El Monte police at 626-580-2110.
WHITTIER - Deputies are looking for a gunman who shot another man several times Tuesday night.
Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Mendoza said the injured man was in stable condition at a hospital.
The station received calls about multiple shots being heard about 8:50 p.m. at Laurel and Virginia avenues in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, he said. Deputies checking out the calls found the wounded man.
The gunman said nothing before opening fire, striking the victim, a 30-year-old man, several time in the stomach area, Sgt. James Franks said.
The shooting happened in an unincorporated county area near Whittier.
A relative was driving the man to the hospital but decided to let paramedics transport him, according to Mendoza. He said the relative pulled over in nearby Santa Fe Springs.
Witnesses saw a man fleeing from the scene after the shooting. Mendoza said the suspect was last seen running west through Amelia Mayberry County Park.
The suspect was described a Latino, 25, 5 feet 6 inches tall, between 150 to 160 pounds and wearing a black shirt and black pants.
- staff report
ALTADENA -- A woman is accused of intentionally striking a county employee with her car Friday following a dispute over an unleashed dog at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, authorities said.
Arune Kavaliauskaite, 28, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon following the 3 p.m. incident at the park, 1750 N. Altadena Drive, according to sheriff's officials and county booking records. Her city of residency was not clear Saturday.
A Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation employee approached Kavaliauskaite and told her she needed to put her dog on a leash, Lt. Denise Stephenson of the Sheriff's Park Services Bureau said.
"The suspect refused to put the dog on a leash (and) became abusive toward staff," the lieutenant said.
When the county employee began taking photographs of the Kavaliauskaite's car and her dog, she apparently became angry and intentionally struck the county employee with her car, Stephenson said. The employee suffered a minor knee injury.
Deputies responded and arrested Kavaliauskaite, officials said.
According to county booking records, Kavaliauskaite was released from jail Saturday morning after posting $30,000 bail pending her initial appearance in Pasadena Superior Court.
LA MIRADA -- Two men were stabbed Thursday during a possibly gang-related fight at La Mirada Regional Park, officials said.
The incident was reported shortly before 4 p.m. at the park, 13701 Adelfa Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Greg Arnold said.
Three suspects, initially described only as Latino men, became involved in a fight with three other men, the sergeant said.
At least one of the suspects pulled a knife, and two of the men in the other group of combatants were stabbed, he said. Both wounded men were taken to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
The stabbing was suspected to be gang-related, Arnold said. No further details were available.
SANTA FE SPRINGS -- A 12-year-old boy was shot and wounded as he slept in his bed late Wednesday, authorities said.
The attack took place just after 11 p.m. in the 9300 block of Danby Avenue, Whittier police Officer Bradley White said.
"When we arrived on-scene, we discovered a 12-year-old male had suffered a gunshot wound to his leg," he said. "He was inside sleeping in his room when the shots were fired."
The boy was treated at a hospital and released early Thursday, White added.
Though detectives initially suspected the attack to be gang-related, "We don't know why this house was targeted," White said.
The bullet that struck the boy pierced a front window of the house, family members said. Another bullet struck the windowsill, and another hit a door.
"There was maybe six to seven shots fired," said a cousin of the young victim who asked that his name be withheld for fear of retaliation. "I don't know where the other ones went."
The family was relaxing at home when their peace was suddenly shattered by the gunfire, said the cousin.
The cousin said he was awakened by the shots and immediately dropped to the floor along with the others in the home.
Then he saw the wounded little boy.
"He was in so much shock, I thought it was worse," the cousin said.
He said he felt relieved when he heard the little boy speak, saying, "It burns."
Following the shooting, a car was heard speeding away from the home, said the cousin.
He added that the family had no idea why someone would shoot at the home.
The little boy's knee was shattered by the bullet, his cousin said, and he may require surgery later in the recovery process. The boy plays flag football in a local league.
No suspect description was available, and the circumstances of the shooting also remained under investigation, police said. Neighbors reported hearing the gunshots, but not seeing the incident.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Whittier police at 562-567-9200.
CONTRIBUTORS
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| 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. |
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Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
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