LOS ANGELES — The Board of Supervisors approved a $10,000 reward offering Wednesday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of two men suspected of killing a teen girl in Monrovia Jan 26.
Sammantha Salas was killed in a hail of gunfire outside an apartment complex in the 2500 block of Peck Road in an unincorporated county section near Monrovia called “No Man’s Land.”
An unidentified friend of Salas was seriously wounded in the assault that also left a stucco apartment building riddled with bullet holes.
Along with the reward offering, more information about the shooting came to light. A press release issued by Supervisor Mike Antonovich’s office indicates that Salas and the other teen were approached by two men on foot.
“The two suspects are described as African-American in their 20s, wearing dark colored bandannas or hooded sweatshirts and members of the Du Rock Crips gang,” the press release said.

The saga of Jennifer Lopez Dejongh and her three missing children made America’s Most Wanted Saturday night. Here’s the story:

                                                                     Police tell AMW that Dejongh was supposed to drop Brian, Christian, and Evan off at Miller’s home on November 17, 2007, for an extended visit, but she never showed.  When it seemed apparent that Dejongh and the children weren’t going to appear at the agreed-upon location, investigators were called in.

Cops say the children are believed to be safe with Dejongh, so an AMBER Alert was never issued for the kidnapped children. Police tell us Dejongh and the missing Miller children may be hiding out on the East Coast, or may have fled to Mexico.  The boys may now have dyed their hair black, or could have shaved heads or crew cuts.

It’s nice to see that the Sheriff’s homicide bureau and Mike Antonovich’s office finally agree that a reward should be offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Sammantha Salas’ killers.

Salas was killed Jan. 26 and by my math that makes five months of investigation without a resolution. Homicide detectives felt that incremental releases of information and ultimately the reward would keep publicity in the case from waning. Based on the story’s position Friday in our most viewed stories list, it appears that they were right about sustaining publicity in the case.

The supes will still have to vote on the reward. It’s should be on **Wednesday’s agenda,** but hasn’t been added yet, i’ll keep monitoring that.

6:05 p.m. Friday **Antonovich’s flack, Tony Bell, tells me that the Supes meet Wednesday instead of Tuesday next week in deference to Tuesday’s primary election.**

As for the two being sought, the electronic files containing two composite drawings of men* sought in connection with the Salas case and another shooting are named …

Amanda Baumfeld has been all over this story and plans on filing an update this afternoon. In the meantime here’s a snippet of what she wrote for Friday’s newspaper:

This is a very well put together scam,” said Capt. Joe Hartshorne of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “The families are truly victims. They could not have seen this coming.”

A hold has been placed on Singh’s passport and a silver Volvo left in the driveway has been impounded, officials said.

Renters began learning of the apparent fraud Monday night.

The Los Angeles Times didn’t touch the story in its print version, but did post a blog entry at LA Now.  The story is accurate, but we’re wondering where they got the picture of a “For Rent ” sign.

None of the photographers or reporters who actually visited the scene at 5441 Calera Avenue saw a sign quite like that.

This from MyFOX LA:

A man suspected of killing his estranged wife and stepson more than nine years ago was returned to Southern California Tuesday, according to a broadcast report.

Fu Lin Wang reportedly arrived on a flight to Los Angeles International Airport.

Wang was arrested by Chicago police last Monday after his picture and description were publicized on the Web site of the Fox Broadcasting series  “America’s Most Wanted”  and in Chinese newspapers throughout the United States and Canada, Alhambra police Sgt. George Flannagan said.

So much for FOX.

Here’s what my new favorite Chinese language newspaper, the World Journal is saying about the flight from Chicago to LA and the paper’s role in Wang’s capture (notice they refer to Wang as Wong):

Mr Wong hand and the shackles on the freedom of movement so that he can not only its own activities room for the diet drink. A year ago, Mr Wong stroke symptoms, a slight inconvenience action, with the entire flight performance.

(Alhambra police Detective) Black stressed that Mr Wong on the tattoo, especially the legs Houwang logo for the Chicago police to determine his identity play a crucial role. He also once again on the “World Journal” to play in the case of express my sincere thanks.

Black said that no Chinese media, in particular the World Journal timely reports and cooperate with, it would be impossible to suspect arrested.

 

This from the wires and the “My LIfe of Crime Blog:”

A man wanted for the murder of his wife and son on Dec. 6, 1998, was arrested today in Chicago, Alhambra police said.

Fu Lin Wang was busted by Chicago PD after his picture and description were appeared on the America’s Most Wanted Internet Web page, and in Chinese newspapers throughout the United States and Canada, Alhambra police Sgt. George Flannagan said.

Wang, who has some pretty unmistakable body ink, was taken into custody without incident, Flannagan said.