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COVINA -- Police arrested a man they suspect of using the Myspace networking Web site to lure and molest a 14-year-old Covina boy.
Achilles Dartgnan Corelleone, 47, also known as Arlan Reynoldson, was charged Wednesday with five counts of child molestation.
Police released a picture of the suspected child sex predator in hopes of tracking down additional victims.
"Our chief concern here is that this guy is a predator," Covina police Sgt. Dave Foster said. "We feel very strongly that this is not his first victim or his only victim. If there's any other victims or people who were being set up to be victims, we want to contact them."
The boy's father had begun to suspect something inappropriate was going on between Corelleone and his son and called police when he spotted Corelleone on Monday at Kahler Russell Park in Covina, Foster said.
Officers then jailed Corelleone without incident, he added.
Corelleone originally contacted the boy on Myspace in March and then met with him a few days later, according to police.
"Corelleone gave the 14-year-old gifts as a means of further developing trust with him, and the relationship eventually led to him being sexually assaulted," according to a statement from police.
Foster said Corelleone and the boy continued meeting until shortly before the arrest.
Corelleone had no criminal history of sex crimes but had committed crimes of burglary in Texas and Wyoming, Foster said.
Police were seeking warrants Wednesday to get access to Corelleone's computer and cell phone, the sergeant added.
"This is very early in the investigation," Foster said. "There's still many things that we need to do."
Corelleone told police he was from Salton Sea, however the address he provided was false, Foster said. His true residence was not known Wednesday.
According to sheriff's booking records, Corelleone is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and is due in West Covina Superior Court for arraignment Thursday.
Anyone with information is asked to call Covina police at (626) 384-5808 and ask to speak to Detective Bobkiewicz or the on-duty watch commander.

PHOTO courtesy of the Covina Police Department.

PASADENA - A judge sentenced a Monrovia man to 17 years in prison for molesting teenage girls he met on the Internet.
Gregory Scott Serrano, 34, received the sentence from Pasadena Superior Court Judge Janice Croft July 9 after pleading guilty May 28 to 20 felony counts of child molestation involving three girls ages 14 to 17, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
While the sentencing concludes Serrano's trial in the Los Angeles County judicial system, he still faces 23 felony federal charges, including using the Internet to entice minors, producing and possessing child pornography and trying to destroy evidence, U.S. Attorney's officials said.
Monrovia Chief of Police Roger Johnson said he was pleased with the outcome of the case.
"We're always very happy here when a dangerous individual like Serrano is put away for a very long time," he said.

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PASADENA -- A judge sentenced a Monrovia man who molested teenage girls after meeting them through the Internet to 17 years in state prison last week, authorities said.
Gregory Scott Serrano, 34, received the sentence from Pasadena Superior Court Judge Janice Croft Thursday after pleading guilty May 28 to 20 felony counts of child molestation involving three girls ranging in age from 14 to 17, Los Angeles County District Attorney's officials said.
Serrano was arrested in March of last year after a 15-year-old girl reported to her parents that Serrano had molested her, authorities said.
While the sentencing concludes Serrano's trial in the Los Angeles County judicial system, he still faces 23 federal charges including using the Internet to entice minors, producing and possessing child pornography and destroying evidence, United Stated Attorney Joey Blanch said. The federal case involves 10 victims.
Serrano faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted on the federal charges, officials said.

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

From the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

PASADENA - The trial for a Monrovia man accused of luring underage girls via the Internet and molesting them has been postponed until next month, court officials said. 
 
Gregory Scott Serrano, 34, was initially scheduled to go on trial Feb. 9, officials said, however it has been rescheduled for March 2.
 
Serrano has been charged with 20 counts of child molestation in the alleged crimes, which officials allege date back to June of 2006. 
 
In addition to the local charges, Serrano has been indicted on 23 federal charges, United States Attorney's officials said. 
 
Serrano was jailed in March of last year after a 15-year-old girl reported the alleged molestation to her parents, officials said. 
 
Serrano's alleged victims range in age from 13 to 17 years old, officials said.
 

America's Most Wanted is doing a feature this week on a rapist who has preyed on Northern California women since 1996.

Here's a link. Here's an excerpt and a composite mug shot:

Victims of the NorCal Rapist's string of sexual assaults say similar things...he talked to them as if they were friends and sometimes called them after an attack to apologize.   He reportedly tells his victims personal details about himself.  Some authorities believe that these are the actions of a man who fantasizes about a future life with the women he rapes.

Investigators note that the NorCal Rapist stalks his victims and learns their routines.  In his most recent attacks in October 2006, two female victims told detectives that it seemed like he knew his way around their home suggesting that he had surveilled them beforehand. 

 

Gregory Scott Serrano, 33, of Monrovia, entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment Friday in his child molestation and child pornograhpy case, according to officials from the district attorney's office:

PASADENA -- A Monrovia man suspected of luring 10 teenage girls via the Internet to molest them and take pornographic pictures of them appeared in court last week, officials said.
Gregory Scott Serrano, 33, entered a not guilty plea Friday at the Pasadena Superior Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office officials said.
Serrano is charged with 20 counts of child molestation stemming from the alleged molestations, which are believed to date back to June of 2006, said United Stated Attorney Joey Blanch, who is prosecuting the case.
The alleged victims are between 13 and 17 years old, Blanch said.
Serrano allegedly used social networking Web site such as MySpace.com and Netlog.com to meet the underage girls, Blanch said.
He was arrested March 12 after a 15-year-old girl told her parents that Serrano had molested her, officials said.
In addition to the local charges, Serrano has also been indicted federally on suspicion of 23 crimes including using the Internet to entice minors, producing and possessing child pornography and destroying evidence.
If convicted on the federal charges, Serrano could face life in prison, Blanch said.
Serrano is due back in court June 30 for a pre-trial conference, officials said.

El Monte police are investigation allegations that a custodian at a local elementaty school inappropriately touched a young girl in late April.

The unidientified custodian is now on paid administrative leave as police continue to investigate, according to school district officials.

Here's an excerpt from a story running in tommorrow's paper:

 

 EL MONTE -- A custodian at a local elementary school is currently on paid administrative leave as police investigate allegations that he inappropriately touched a student earlier this year, police and school district officials said.
The alleged incident occurred April 25 at La Primaria Elementary School, 4220 Gilman Road, said El Monte police Detective Ernie Cramer.
The name of the custodian, a man in his 60s, was not released, he said. He has not been arrested.
The investigation involves "inappropriate touching above the clothes," said Cramer.
A girl in the 3rd grade came forward and told school officials that the custodian had touched her inappropriately earlier in the day, Cramer said.
School officials immediately contacted the girl's parents and the El Monte Police Department, he said.
Mountain View School District Director of Special Projects Alan Morier said it's district procedure to place any employee being investigated by police on paid administrative leave.

Former Pomona teacher Steven Petralia is set to be sentenced in Superior Court *tomorrow.

A wrong way crash on the Southbound 605 kills a driver.  Just minutes before the accident, Anissa Rivera, our "Mom's the word" blogger describes her family's close call.

APU students are causing a parking problem in the neighborhood.

The search for more Manson Family victims at Barker Ranch in Inyo was a big zip.

Sheriff's Department about to release more information in the March slaying of a Covina Hills woman who was on the phone with 9-1-1 when she was shot to death.

 

An unidentified man (left) confronts a man identified as Jaime Elvis Elizondo, 33, of San Gabriel in the children's section of Border's Bookstore at Santa Anita Mall last Saturday.

Elizondo, a registered sex offender, is accused of molesting a young girl inside the store.

A seven-minute video tape of the incident shows the man identifed as Elizondo approaching the girl several times.

Wearing a red shirt, the suspect walks by, walks away and walks by again before appearing to kneel down next to the girl.

The suspect goes unnoticed for several seconds before the onlooker confronts him and chases him from the bookstore.

Here's a segment from today's story on the incident:

Elizondo is suspected of "touching his exposed genitals up against a young female child" in a Borders bookstore at Westfield Santa Anita, 400 S. Baldwin Ave., on Saturday, according to Arcadia police Lt. Ron Buckholtz.

A 32-year-old Temple City man confronted the suspect and he fled, but the man was able to later identify the suspect from a Web site listing convicted predators, police said.

The man turned over the information to Arcadia police detectives, who were able to show it to other witnesses and confirm the suspect's identity, Foley said.

"Kudos to the gentleman for taking the time not only to intervene, but to follow up on his own," Foley said. "It led to a quick arrest."

 

This comes from the Arcadia Police Officer's Association blog. Just happened to notice it a few minutes ago:

A San Gabriel man was arrested today for Lewd Acts with a child after follow-up by APD Detectives. The suspect allegedly stalked and molested a young girl who was in the children's area of the Border's Book Store, Westfield Shopping Town, during the morning hours of Saturday, May 17th. A witness rushed to the aid of the young girl, knocking the suspect away. The suspect fled on foot but the crime was caught on video tape.

Unlucky for this predator, a quick thinking witness turned to the internet and helped bring the suspect's identity to the forefront by locating him through a registrant database. Detectives conducted the follow-up and arrested 33 year old Jaime Elvis Elizondo without incident. Elizondo was booked at APD on one count of PC 288(a).

The state's Megan's law database indicates Elizondo lived on Sunset in San Gabriel. He has at least one prior for the same offense according to the state

 

Three boys and nine girls claim they were molested my substitute teacher V. Cleon Harper, according to the felony complaint filed against Harper by the Los Angeles County District Attorney.

Harper, who is being held on $1 million bail was scheduled for arraignment at the Pomona courthouse Monday, but that arraignment was postposed until April, 18, according to Sandi Gibbons in the DA's office.

Meanwhile, friends of Harper turned to this blog to begin a campaign of support for their colleague. This comment was left on an earlier entry:

If your reporter were doing his job he would also have discovered this. The teacher coached the students in writing 'mysterious' events about Harper, as a writing exercise. None of the written assignments described any 'touching' other than a light touch on the shoulder. It was only after feedback by the teacher and the administrator that children began to talk about other forms of touching. This same class was known for being disruptive to sub teachers in the past. Harper is among the most upstanding people in the Azusa community and this 'witch-hunt' is an unparalleled abuse of power and authority by the School district, by Child Protective Services and by the Azusa Police Department. It was a complete over reaction to childish fiction to 'get back' at a sub teacher who tried to hold them accountable for their collective mis-behavior.