Small fire reported at Fox Studios in Los Angeles

Posted on August 16, 2014 by Brian Day

LOS ANGELES >> Firefighters made quick work of a small fire that broke out late Friday at Fox Studios in Los Angeles, authorities said.
The fire was first reported about 7 p.m. at the studio, 10201 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Katherine Main said.
“It was a small fire in a wooden storage locker in a sound studio,” Main said. “It was held in check by fire sprinklers.”
Firefighters declared the fire extinguished after 17 minutes, she said. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters remained at the scene clearing water from the building, Main said. Because the affected area has a concrete floor, the damage was believed to be “minimal.”
The cause was not available Friday evening.

Two jailed in connection with bear hug robbery in Monterey Park

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Brian Day

MONTEREY PARK >> Police arrested a man and woman in Los Angeles late Friday less than an hour after they robbed a man in Monterey Park, authorities said.
A Los Angeles man in his 20s was walking on a sidewalk at Emerson and Moore avenues about 9 p.m. when he was approached by the two suspects, Monterey Park police Lt. Tina Montoya said.
“The victim was approached by a male suspect who placed him in a bear hug,” the lieutenant said.
While the man held the victim, the woman went snatched his wallet and iPhone 5 from his pockets, police said. The robbers then fled in a white car. The victim was unhurt.
Police were able to quickly track the iPhone’s location and found the suspects driving on Pico Boulevard in Westlake Village, officials said. The stolen items were found in the car.
Juan Jose Cruz, 18, of Montebello and Michelle Salinas, 20, of Los Angeles were arrested on suspicion of robbery, Montoya said.
Cruz and Salinas were being held in lieu of $100,000 bail each pending their initial court appearances, scheduled Friday in Alhambra Superior Court.

Glendora police bust alleged burglary ring

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> Glendora police Wednesday jailed an alleged residential burglary ring comprised of five Los Angeles gang members, officials said.
The four men and a teenage boy are accused of three burglaries in Glendora Wednesday, as well as at least one additional burglary in Covina, Glendora police Lt. James De Mond said. And detectives continued working to link them to additional crimes.
The burglars primarily stole jewelry from the homes, the lieutenant said.
The arrests came after Glendora officers police responded to a report of a burglary in the 700 block of East Essex Street, the lieutenant said. A resident had arrived home to find the front door kicked in and the home ransacked.”
“As officers were investigating this burglary, a resident in the 1100 block of East Dover Street called to report seeing five males attempting to get in a screen door of a residence,” De Mond said.
Police rushed to Dover Street where officers spotted two young men running between homes in the neighborhood, as well as a white Toyota Camry with paper license plates driving away, De Mond said.
Police stopped the car and arrested Jaime Estrada, 26, of Maywood, who was on parole for burglary, De Mond said. Stolen property from all four burglaries was found in the Camry. Some items found in the car had been stolen in another residential burglary in the 1000 block of East Bradford Drive that was not reported until later in the day.
Officers searched the neighborhood and found Martin Sanchez, 26, of Hacienda Heights and Junior Valdez, 25, of Los Angeles hiding in a nearby garage, police said. Two other suspects, identified as Jerry Castro, 21, of Los Angeles and a teenage boy from Cudahy, hiding in a side yard and trying to break into a garage.
A Pasadena police helicopter and two Pasadena police K-9s took part in the search.
“All of the suspects have been identified as 38th Street gang members out of South Central Los Angeles,” De Mond said.
Estrada was being held without bail while the three other adult suspects were being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, according to Los Angeles County booking records. All four were scheduled to be arraigned Friday in West Covina Superior Court.
The teenage suspect was taken to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.

Three men rescued from SUV wreck in Granada Hills

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Brian Day

GRANADA HILLS >> Firefighters ripped apart a mangled SUV to free three injured young men who were trapped inside after the vehicle struck a tree along San Fernando Road, authorities said.
Two men were hospitalized in critical condition and one was hospitalized in serious condition following the crash, which took place just before 1 p.m. in the 14400 block of North San Fernando Road, just west of Balboa Boulevard, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. All were described as men estimated to be in their 20s.
The driver and two passengers were trapped inside the Toyota SUV when officials arrived on-scene, he said.
“Firefighters had to use hydraulic prying tools to deconstruct the SUV,” Humphrey said.
The relationship among the three injured men was not clear, he said.
Two of the injured were taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, and the third was taken to Henry Mayo Hospital in Valencia, officials said.
San Fernando Road was briefly shut down in both directions as officials tended to the injured and investigated the scene.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by the Los Angeles police Department’s Valley Traffic Division.

PHOTO by Mike Meadows

Man sentenced for Monterey Park double-slaying

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Brian Day

A judge sentenced a man to spend the rest of his life in prison Thursday for the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend in Monterey Park in early 2010, authorities said.
Richard Tauch, 49, of Corona received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole in Pasadena Superior Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials said in a written statement.
A jury convicted him in November of two counts of first-degree murder for the Jan. 19, 2010, shooting deaths of Jenny Sor, 40, of Los Angeles and Wenwa Chao, 53, of Alhambra. The jury also found true the special allegations of multiple murder and lying in wait.
Officials described Tauch as a casino security guard who was obsessed with his ex-girlfriend, Sor.
“Tauch and Sor were in a relationship for a year before she broke up with him in December 2009 and started dating Chao,” according to the district attorney’s office statement.
On the day of the killings, Tauch went to Sor’s workplace at the Hollywood Park Casino in Inglewood and hid himself in her car, investigators said. He remained concealed in her car as she drove to an assisted living facility in the 200 block of Northj Chandler Avenue in Monterey Park, where Chao was visiting his father.
“When Sor arrived at the care home, she went inside and Tauch followed,” according to the district attorney’s office statement. “The defendant then accosted Sor and Chao and shot them multiple times. The victims died at the scene.”
Tauch fled the scene following the double-slaying, but detectives arrested him the following day.

L.A. Kings to celebrate Stanley Cup victory with parade Monday

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Brian Day

LOS ANGELES >> Los Angeles will celebrate its 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Kings on Monday with a parade in front of the Staples Center, the team announced.
Fans crowding the streets surrounding the Kings home stadium on Figueroa Street exploded into a euphoric frenzy Friday night after the champions defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 in double overtime to secure the coveted cup.
The revelry continues Monday as the official team celebration steps off at noon, beginning at Figueroa and Fifth streets and heading south to Staples Center, Kings spokesman Jon Rosen said in a written statement.
Following the parade, the Kings will host a sold-out victory rally for season ticket holders inside Staples Center, according to Kings representatives. Attendees will be able to watch the parade via screens inside the arena.
The parade is expected to last 35 to 45 minutes, Rosen said.
“Kings fans planning to attend Monday’s victory parade are highly encouraged to line the one-mile Figueroa Street parade route between 5th Street to the north and Chick Hearn Court to the south, on both sides of the street, as all the immediate areas adjacent to Staples Center and L.A. Live will be controlled by the Los Angeles Police Department and Department of Transportation with limited access to an area of limited size,” Rosen said.
In addition to the parade route on Figueroa Street between 5th and 11th streets, Figueroa Street will also be closed between 3rd Street and Pico Boulevard, as well as 11th Street between Figueroa Street and L.A. Live Way, and L.A. Live Way between Olympic and Pico boulevards.
The parade and accompanying festivities will be televised live on FOX Sports West with a broadcast beginning at 11 a.m., Kings officials said.
Restaurants at L.A. Live will remain open during the parade, however access will be limited to the north entrance off Olympic Boulevard, officials said.
“The Kings also encourage all fans to remember to celebrate safely and responsibly, as the parade will be a family event, and small children will be present,” Rosen said. “Parents are reminded to keep their children close to prevent them from becoming separated from their groups. Attendees are also encouraged to drink water and use sunscreen, as many are likely to be standing along Figueroa for several hours and the forecast calls for sunny weather.”
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck echoed the sentiment, congratulating the Kings and encouraging safe celebration via his Twitter account.
“Let’s honor the great @LAKings win by celebrating responsibly! Win with Class, Celebrate with Class!” the chief tweeted.
Fans created an impromptu parade of their own as they left the area following Friday’s victory, waving flags and inflatable Stanley Cup figures and chanting “Go Kings, go,” and “We got the Cup.”
The enthusiastic crowd that gathered Friday at L.A. Live adjacent to Staples Center to watch the final game of the Stanley Cup playoffs remained largely peaceful. Strangers exchanged high-fives after the Kings clinched the championship. And even chides between Kings fans and the few Rangers fans visible outside Staples Center remained light-hearted.
Police maintained a heavy presence throughout the game, which increased as it drew near a close. Officers on horseback made patrols through the area, and dozens of other officers stood by with riot helmets at the ready in case of trouble.
There were three arrests in all at the game, Los Angeles Police Officer Rosario Herrera said. Two were private persons arrests for battery, and the third was for being drunk in public.
And home viewers were also excited about Friday’s game, as evidenced by preliminary TV ratings figures released by the NBC Sports Group.
With an average of 6 million viewers, Friday’s double overtime L.A. Kings Stanley Cup Playoffs victory was the most-watched Game 5 in six years, NBC officials said in a written statement.
Viewership peaked between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., at more than 8.5 million viewers, NBC officials said in a written statement.
The ratings were up seven percent over Game 5 last year between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins, which was also shown on NBC, and 82 percent over Game 5 in 2012, in which the Kings took on the New Jersey Devils in a game with potential to clinch the Stanley Cup.
The last time a Game 5 reached so many viewers was in 2008, when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings battled into triple overtime, according to the network.
NBC officials said they expected Friday’s game to be the top primetime broadcast among the four major networks. The previous two playoff series games shown on NBC, games 1 and 2, claimed the No. 1 primetime rating.
Locally, in both Los Angeles and New York, Friday’s playoff game garnered the second-highest ratings of any NHL games shown on NBC or NBCSN, officials said.
With a Los Angeles rating of 12.4, Los Angeles viewership was bested only by the series-ending Game 6 in 2012, which saw a rating of 13.6, according to NBCSN.
In New York, Friday’s 10.4 rating was topped only by Game 2 of this playoff series, which brought a slightly higher rating of 10.5.

Walnut man admits being gang ‘shotcaller,’ faces 27 years in prison

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Brian Day

LOS ANGELES >> A Walnut man and “shotcaller” of a South Los Angeles street gang faces 27 years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to federal racketeering and dug trafficking charges for helping the gang’s incarcerated leader continue managing the gang from behind bars, authorities said.
Manuel Valencia, 38, pleaded guilty to violating the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and “engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise connected to drug trafficking,” U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Thom Mrozek said in a written statement.
Valencia, who could have faced life in prison if convicted at trial, is expected to receive 27 years in prison when he returns to federal court in Los Angeles for sentencing Sept. 8, officials said. He admitted to being a shotcaller for the Harpys street gang, one of more than a dozen Latino gangs in the South Los Angeles Area controlled by imprisoned Mexican Mafia member Danny Roman.
Acting on the orders of Roman, who is serving a life sentence at Pelican State Prison, Valencia, “admitted that he oversaw and participated in gang activities, which included collecting ‘taxes’ from drug dealers who were allowed to operate in gang territory, retaliating against people who ran afoul of the gang and engaging in drug trafficking,” Mrozek said.
Valencia’s plea comes a week after Roman’s daughter, 37-year-old Vianna Roman of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to racketeering, drug and weapons offenses for “acting as a conduit for her father’s orders as he exercised control of the Harpys gang,” Mrozek added.
Vianna Roman is expected to receive 20 years in prison when she returns to court for sentencing July 28, Mrozek said, though additional prison time is possible if deemed appropriate by U.S. District Judge R. Hary Klausner.
The guilty pleas come as a result of a 2-year-old indictment against 29 defendants, officials said. Of those originally charged in the indictment, 24 have pleaded guilty, one is awaiting trial, three are fugitives and one had charges dismissed after being convicted of murder in an unrelated case.

23-year-old Los Angeles man killed in 60 Freeway crash in Rosemead

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Brian Day

ROSEMEAD >> A 23-year-old man died early Saturday after a big rig struck his disabled car on the 60 Freeway following a previous collision, authorities said.
Jose Estrada Jr. of Los Angeles died in the 5:08 a.m. crash on the eastbound 60 Freeway, just west of Rosemead Boulevard, in an unincorporated county area between South El Monte and Rosemead, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner officials said.
He was driving a 2001 Toyota sedan when he became involved in a collision with a 1986 Nissan being driven by a 58-year-old Inglewood man, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement. The cause and circumstances of the two-car crash remained under investigation Saturday afternoon.
The Nissan ended up veering off the side of the freeway, striking an overhead light pole, overturning and coming to a rest back on its wheels along a dirt and brush embankment, CHP officials said. The driver suffered minor injuries.
Estrada’s Toyota came to a stop in the No. 3 lane of traffic.
A big rig then approached the crash scene, “and for unknown reasons, was unable to avoid the stopped vehicle,” according to the CHP statement.
The big rig slammed into the Toyota, causing major injuries to Estrada, officials said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene at 5:26 a.m.
The truck driver, a 36-year-old Los Angeles man, was not injured, according to the CHP.
“The exact cause of this collision is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol – East Los Angeles area office,” the statement said.

UPDATED: Red Cross closes Orland shelter, establishes hotline for families affected by tour bus crash

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Brian Day

LOS ANGELES >> The American Red Cross closed it’s Orland shelter Saturday and established a 24-hour hotline Saturday to help families affected by Thursday’s tour bus crash in Orland, which claimed 10 lives and injured more than 30 others, offiials said.
The Red Cross shelter set up in Orland to accommodate those affected by the crash closed early Saturday as it was no longer needed, Red Cross Los Angeles Region spokeswoman Terri Corigliano said. No one stayed overnight at the shelter late Friday into early Saturday.
But the relief organization’s efforts to comfort the afflicted continued.
“The American Red Cross would like to express our condolences to those who have lost loved ones in this tragedy,” Red Cross Los Angeles Region officials said in a written statement. “Our thoughts are also with those who were injured and their families.
“Beginning immediately, families affected by this tragedy can call the Red Cross hotline for assistance,” the statement said. The number is 800-540-2000.
“It doesn’t matter where you live in California,” Corigliano said. “We will help you by connecting you with the Red Cross nearest you, so we will meet you where you are.”
Red Cross caseworkers will be on-hand to meet with families needing additional mental health support, help with travel, and other expenses associated with the tragedy,” Corigliano sad. Services are available in both English and Spanish.
Mental health services appeared to be the most in-demand Saturday, Corigliano said.
“Right now, in general, I would say both in the Orland area and here, (the need) is for counseling,” she said.
“As we proceed in the coming days, we’ll be able to see what people need assistance with, so well be able too render that assistance.”
The Red Cross is working with school districts affected by the crash, as well as other community organizations, officials said.
As schools affected by the crash begin holding memorials, Corigliano said, “We will certainly be available should we be needed in any of those circumstances.

Nursing attendant accused of molesting patient at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Brian Day

LOS ANGELES >> Investigators Thursday announced the arrest of a hospital worker accused of sexually assaulting a patient at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and reached out to the public to seek any additional potential victims.
Detectives arrested Terance Bobga Tekoh, 25, about 10:20 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of sexual penetration by a foreign object, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials and county booking records.
The alleged attack took place earlier in the day in an examination room while a patient was waiting to undergo a medical procedure, Lt. Steve Katz of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau said in a written statement.
Tekoh, a certified nursing attendant employed by Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center contractor Cross Country Per Diem, was assigned to the hospital’s Magnetic Resonance Imaging Department, officials said.
“The suspect has been terminated from hospital employment,” Katz said.
The 600-bed hospital is one of the largest public hospitals in the nation and a hub of the county healthcare system and treats patients from throughout the region.
As detectives and prosecutors prepared their case against Tekoh, they also sought to hear from anyone else who may have had a suspicious encounter with him.
“Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying any other potential victims who may have been harmed by suspect Tekoh’s conduct,” the lieutenant said.
Tekoh was released from custody Thursday morning on $100,000 bail, booking records show.
He was scheduled to be arraigned April 10 in Los Angeles Superior Court.

PHOTO courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

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