Category Archives: Downey

Guard from Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey convicted of assault on teen

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LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles jury Wednesday convicted a guard from Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey of an attack on a 13-year-old detainee, officials said.
D’Wayne Jordan, 58, was convicted of assault by a public officer, corporal injury to a child, assault with a deadly weapon and willful cruelty to a child likely to cause great bodily injury, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials said in a written statement.
The Los Angeles County Probation officer, who worked as a senior detention services officer at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, faces up to six years in prison when he returns to Los Angeles Superior Court for a scheduled sentencing Nov. 3.
Though Jordan has been discharged by the probation department, he has appealed his dismissal, officials added.
Evidence presented at trial showed that a juvenile detainee was sent to an office with Jordan after causing a minor disturbance in his room, according to the district attorney’s office.
“Evidence showed that Jordan allegedly forced the boy to sit on the floor and that Jordan stood over him in a threatening manner,” the statement said. “When the minor raised his hand in defense, Jordan allegedly struck him.
“Jordan allegedly kneed the 13-year-old in the face and pushed his face to the floor,” according to the statement. “The minor, who was 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 130 pounds at the time, suffered a cut and bruising to his face and broke a front tooth.”
Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Natalie Adomian of the district attorney’s Public Integrity Division prosecuted the case.

Allegedly stolen iguana reunited with burglary victim

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Deputies Thursday jailed a Downey man on suspicion of burglary and other crimes and reunited a Bellflower auto shop owner with his pet iguana, which was stolen late last year.
“Lizard” the iguana, which the auto shop owner had kept as a pet for more than 17 years, went missing following a break-in late Dec. 9 or early Dec. 10, 2011, at the auto shop 9800 block of Park Street, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials.
Other than the reptile, nothing else appeared to have been stolen from the shop, Lt. Steve Sciacca said in a written statement.
Evidence gathered at the scene of the burglary led detective to identify 19-year-old Jesus Alcaraz of Downey as a suspect in the burglary, Sciacca said. Gang investigators from the sheriff’s Lakewood Station recognized Alcaraz from previous encounters.
“Investigators served a search warrant on Alcaraz’s residence in Downey and recovered the victim’s pet iguana, a loaded handgun that was illegally possessed by Alcaraz, marijuana, hashish oil, and gang paraphernalia,” Sciacca said. The iguana was returned to its owner.
According to county booking records, Alcaraz was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail pending a scheduled arraignment Monday in Downey Superior Court.

Man shot to death in front of family in apparent road rage attack in Downey

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This tragic story comes courtesy of City News Service:

DOWNEY — Whoever gunned down a Bellflower man in front of his wife and children in an apparent case of road rage in Downey was at large Sunday, police said.
Juan Pacheco, 28, was shot about 6:30 p.m. Friday on the 105 Freeway while he was merging from the Lakewood Boulevard on-ramp, according to Downey police.
“As the victim was transitioning onto the eastbound 105 freeway from Lakewood Boulevard, a verbal altercation occurred between the victim and the occupants” of a blue 2002 or 2003 Honda Accord with chrome wheels and dark-tinted windows, said Downey police Lt. Phil Rego.
As the two vehicles neared Woodruff Avenue, a passenger in the Honda fired a round that hit the Pacheco in the torso, said Rego.
His wife and two sons, ages 3 and 4, were in the van but were unharmed.
Pacheco managed to stop the van on the side of the freeway and got out before he collapsed, Rego said. He later died at a hospital.
Anyone with information about the fatal shooting was asked to call Downey police at (562) 904-2308.