UPDATED: Whittier-area men convicted of murdering San Pedro woman in 2009

LONG BEACH — A jury Wednesday convicted two Whittier-area men of the 2009 robbery and murder of a 27-year-old San Pedro woman.
The Long Beach Superior Court jury found Raul Tiscareno, 30, of Whittier and Daniel Martinez, 39, of Pico Rivera guilty of Jan. 30, 2009 slaying of Ginie Samayoa, who was found slumped in her car in an alley near her San Pedro home.
She had been shot in the back of the head, authorities said.
The jury Wednesday convicted the two men of murder and second-degree robbery, according to Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Julian Recana.
They were each expected to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole when they return to court March 25 for sentencing, the prosecutor said.
Martinez was also convicted of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, officials said, however the jury did not find true the allegation that he personally fired the gun that killed Samayoa.
Samayoa’s mother and brother were present in court for the verdict, and the mother plans to read a victim impact statement at the sentencing, Recana said.
It was Tiscareno’s second trial, as a jury failed to reach a verdict in a previous trial.
A third killer, 35-year-old Michael Lee Bonfiglio of Whittier, was convicted by a jury on March 22, 2012 of first degree murder with the special allegation of murder during the course of a robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and second-degree robbery. A judge sentenced him in August to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
On Aug. 13, Bonfiglio was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
The men tried to rob Samayoa of her laptop containing credit card numbers and other information related to identity theft, officials said.
Samayoa died of her injuries the day after the shooting.
Though the special allegation of murder during a robbery made the three killers eligible for the death penalty, prosecutors did not pursue it.

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Detectives release name of woman found slain in Angeles National Forest

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST — Detectives have released the name of a San Pedro woman found brutally slain last month on a hiking trail north of the San Gabriel Valley.
Arela Leyva Quinones, 45, was pronounced dead after her body was discovered by hikers on a trail at the east end of East Fork Road, Lt. Dave Coleman of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said. She had been stabbed in the throat.
No suspects were in custody, however detectives continued following leads in the investigation, Coleman said.
“We’re doing forensic examination of tire tracks at the scene,” the lieutenant said. It was not clear Wednesday what type of vehicle they belonged to.
There were no personal items found along with Quinone’s body, and it was not known whether anything was stolen from her, Coleman said.
Detectives have identified and visited other location connected to the slaying, however Coleman declined to give further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
Quinones was a mother, officials said, though it was not clear how many children she had, or how old they are. She had no gang ties.
It appeared she was killed at the site where her body was discovered sometime earlier in the day, Coleman said.
Information was not available from the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner due to a security hold requested by sheriff’s investigators that remained in effect Wednesday, coroner’s Assistant Chief of Operation Ed Winter said.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

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UPDATED: Death of transient found along Main Street in La Puente ruled homicide

LA PUENTE — The death of a 59-year-old transient along Main Street in La Puente over the weekend is being investigated as a homicide after an autopsy determined he died from head injuries, coroner’s officials said Wednesday.
Jesse Edward Mercado was pronounced dead after he was found, not breathing, about 10:35 a.m. Saturday in a tunnel in the 15900 block of Main Street in La Puente, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
A city of residence was not listed at the coroner’s office, however he was believed to be local transient, according to sheriff’s and coroner’s officials.
An autopsy determined he died from “blunt head trauma,” Winter said, and the case was being investigated as a homicide.
Mercado was found by friends in a covered area between two buildings, Lt. Holly Francisco of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said.
“He was lying where he would normally sleep,” she said.
It was not clear Wednesday how long Mercado may have been dead before his body was discovered, Francisco said.
The circumstances and a motive in the killing remained unclear.
“We’re just trying to contact as many people who saw him in the past few days as possible,” the lieutenant said.
The killing was believed to have taken place overnight.
Mercado was last seen alive about 9 p.m. the previous night about a block away, in the area of Main and First streets, Detective Ron Duval of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said.
Sheriff’s officials initially said there was nothing overtly suspicious found at the scene to indicate the case was a killing, however homicide detectives were brought in to investigate nonetheless.
Mercado’s body had two black eyes, but did not outwardly show signs of major head trauma, Duval said.
There were also no signs of defensive wounds on the body, the detective added.
“It didn’t appear that he put up a fight,” Duval said.
The killing was one of two reported in the area over the weekend, though the slayings were not believed to be related, officials said.
Christopher Luis Ramirez, 18, of La Puente was found fatally shot about 11:40 a.m. Sunday in the living room of a home in the 18500 block of MacLaren Street, about two and a half miles to the west in East Valinda, sheriff’s officials said.
Ramirez, who did not live in the home, was found wounded by his brother, authorities said.
The circumstances of the shooting were unknown, and no suspects were initially identified, Detective Phillip Guzman of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said.
Anyone with information on either case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

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Slain Riverside police officer identified

Riverside police have released the name of a 34-year-old police officer and former Marine allegedly shot to death by Christopher Dorner early Wednesday in Riverside.
“Wednesday we are going to lay to rest, for the final time, our brother… Michael Crain,” Riverside Police Chief said Sunday at a news conference in Los Angeles.
The 34-year-old officer was an 11-year veteran of the department was also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, the chief said.
Citing safety concerns, Diaz continued to withhold the name of the officer who was seriously wounded, but survived the alleged attack by Dorner.
A funeral for Crain is scheduled from 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at at the Grove Community Church in Riverside, to be followed immediately by internment at the Riverside National Cemetery.
Officials are planning extra security measures for the services.

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UPDATE: Man found shot to death in East Valinda house

EAST VALINDA — Homicide detecitve are investigating after a man was found shot to death Sunday inside a MacLaren Street house, authorities said.
The incident was first reported about 11:40 a.m. in the 18500 block of MacLaren Street, in the unincorporated county area of East Valinda, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. James Beamon.
The man’s body was discovered by his brother, officials said.
Few details were available, as the investigation remained in its early stages, Beamon said..
“The body was discovered in the living room area of a house,” sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.

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Federal officials issue aviation warning due to Dorner search

The Transportation Security Agency has cautioned those in the aviation industry to be vigilant as the search for Christopher Dorner — a former LAPD officer and Navy reservist believed to have flight training — continues.
A security advisory distributed to airports and pilots by the federal agency warned that Dorner was believed to have received flight training while in the Navy, “but the extent of his potential flying skills is unknown.”
The elusive triple-murder suspect has already travelled hundreds of miles across Southern California in his week long crime-spree, and tried unsuccessfully to steal a boat in San Diego late Wednesday.
“While there is no specific information at this time that Dorner is considering using general aviation, TSA requests that operators use an increased level of awareness concerning any suspicious activity during the coming days,” according to the TSA alert.
Suggested precautions included securing unattended aircraft, verifying cargo and passengers, keeping an eye out for unknown pilots or personnel, watching out for altered or inconsistent identification and being aware of anyone persons “who appear tu be under stress or the control of other persons.”
The TSA requested any aircraft thefts be reported immediately, and any suspicious activity reported to local law enforcement as well as the TSA.

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Reward to be offered for in hunt for Christopher Dorner, search in Big Bear scaled down

LOS ANGELES — Officials this afternoon plan to announce a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Christopher Dorner.
More information will be released at a 1 p.m. news conference at Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters, according to a written statement from the multi-agency task force formed to pursue Dorner.
Police and other officials from Los Angeles, Irvine, Riverside, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service are expected.
Meanwhile in Big Bear, where Dorner’s disabled truck was found loaded with weapons and survival gear Thursday morning, day four of the tireless manhunt was gearing up to resume the search, but with half as many personnel as in previous days.
A scaled-down search effort continued with 50 officers, including SWAT team members combing the wooded area behind the resort where Dorner’s burned out truck was discovered Thursday, according to sheriff’s officials.
The smaller number of searchers is not an indication authorities believe Dorner is not in the mountain area, according to Cindy Bachman, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department, but that a smaller area is left to be searched.
At the peak of the manhunt, more than 100 officers and authorities were in the snow-covered community searching for the fugitive.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s authorities moved the command post which for the last three days had been at the Bear Mountain Ski resort to the Big Bear sheriff’s station.
Temperatures dropped to 5 degrees in Big Bear Lake over he weekend.
Anyone with information on Dorner’s whereabouts was asked to contact the task force at 213-486-6860. Tips may also be submitted anonymously by calling L.A. Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

– Brian Day and Beatriz Valenzuela

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LAPD Chief Charlie Beck says he will re-examine Dorner’s grievances

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck sat down for an interview with with CBS Saturday afternoon in which he announced he would take another look at the case of Christopher Dorner’s dismissal.
He said the move was solely to encourage public trust in the department.
“Dorner’s allegations are about a police department that doesn’t treat African Americans fairly, and I don’t think that’s true,” the chief said. “And I want to make sure we don’t lose this precious ground we’ve gained.”
“That’s the totality of the reason I will look at this investigation again. More important than the Dorner aspect is the community aspect. I’m not doing this to appease Dorner,” he said.
“It’s about restoring faith,” Beck added. “I worry whenever faith in the police department is eroded.”
Beck also used the interview to apologize to the two women mistakenly shot and wounded by LAPD officers early Thursday in Torrance while guarding one of the possible targets mentioned in Dorner’s manifesto.
“I want people to understand that this is a far different situation than police officers usually face,” Beck said.
“I publicly apologize for what happened,” he said. “They were truly innocent. When innocents are injured, nothing affects me more greatly.”

 

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Funeral scheduled for slain Riverside police officer

RIVERSIDE — The funeral for the slain Riverside officer is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Grove Community Church, 19900 Grove Community Drive in Riverside, Riverside police officials said in a written statement.
His name was not released Friday due to concerns for his family’s safety, Lt. Mark Rossi said.
Also due to safety concerns, officials are planning heightened security measures at Wednesday’s services, he said.
Following the funeral, an honor guard will proceed to the Riverside National Cemetery for internment.
An Honor Guard procession will proceed to the Riverside National Cemetery for Interment immediately following the service.
Further details were expected to be released later, Rossi said.
The event will be open to the public, however seating is limited and a large turnout is expected, officials said.
The other officer who was wounded while riding with the slain officer was in stable condition, according to the Riverside Police Department.

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Manhunt for Christopher Dorner leads investigators to Buena Park storage locker

BUENA PARK — The ongoing manhunt for Christopher Dorner led Irvine police detective to a Buena Park storage locker late Friday, officials said.
Investigators executed a search warrant at the storage locker Friday night, however the exact time and location was not released.
“Irvine Police Department Detectives served a search warrant last night at a storage locker in Buena Park,” according to Irvine police Lt. Bill Whalen. “Items of evidence were collected.”
Buena Park police deferred all comments to Irvine police.
No further details regarding the Buena Park search warrant were available.

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