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Police arrested a San Bernardino County Probation Correctional Officer Friday in connection with a bizarre case of false imprisonment and impersonating a police officer reported earlier this month.
Glendora police arrested Douglass Leon Weaver, 43, about 6 p.m. Friday at his workplace, the San Bernardino County Juvenile Detention & Assessment Center, 900 E. Gilbert Street in San Bernardino, according to Glendora police Capt. Tim Staab.
Tips from the community and Weaver's fellow probation officials led to his identification and capture, the captain said.
"Weaver was on-duty at the time and did not know Glendora police were searching for him," Staab said.
Agents from the San Bernardino County Probation Department's newly formed Criminal Intelligence recognized Weaver from a composite sketch circulated by Glendora police and confirmed he drove a cream-colored Ford Edge that matched the one described in the crime "spot on," Staab said.
He's accused of posing as a police officer May 11 when he pulled over a driver on the Sunflower Avenue offramp of the westbound 210 Freeway, police said. He used a strobe light and bumped the victim's vehicle from behind to get him to pull over.
The fake cop took the victim, who had been drinking, to his sister's home in Glendora and released him, Lt. Brian Summers said.
The police impersonator then told the victim he was giving him a "break," and that, "this never happened, Summers said. The suspect carried a handgun in a holster on his hip.
Five days later, the phony officer returned to the sister's home in Glendora, saying he wanted to check up on the situation, the lieutenant said. The woman became uncomfortable when the suspect barged into the home and began touching her on her arm and leg, and the intruder quickly left when the woman said her husband would soon be home.
Though Weaver is employed by the San Bernardino County Probation Department, "He only has peace officer powers while on-duty, and while inside a custody facility," Staab said.
He is not authorized to carry a gun either on- or off-duty, police added.
In a written statement, San Bernardino County Probation Department Chief Probation Officer Michelle Scray said she was disturbed by the allegations.
"We will not tolerate off duty conduct that brings discredit upon the San Bernardino County Probation Department and the professional men and women who work here," she said.
According to county booking records, Weaver was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Glendora Police Department's jail pending a scheduled arraignment Wednesday in West Covina Superior Court.
PHOTO of Douglass Weaver and suspect sketch courtesy of the Arcadia Police Department
SAO PAULO (AP) -- Police have arrested three people for allegedly killing at least two women, eating parts of their bodies and using their flesh to make stuffed pastries known as empanadas that they sold to neighbors in their northeastern Brazil city.
The three suspects - a man, his wife and his mistress - belonged to a sect that preached "the purification of the world and the reduction of its population," police inspector Wesley Fernandes in the city of Garanhuns told the Globo TV network Friday.
The newspaper Estado de S.Paulo said the man, Jorge Beltrao Negromonte, wrote a 50-page book titled "Revelations of a Schizophrenic" in which he says he hears voices and is obsessed with the killing of women.
Fernandes said the three were arrested Wednesday and had confessed to the crimes.
The three allegedly lured women to their house by promising them a job as a nanny. They were tracked down after one of the arrested women used a credit card belonging to a victim who disappeared last month.
Police found the remains of the two women in the backyard of the suspects' house, which enraged neighbors burned to the ground Thursday.
Fernandes identified the three as Negromonte; his wife, Isabel Cristina Pires; and his mistress, Bruna Oliveira da Silva.
The three allegedly had plans for killing another woman living in the nearby city of Lagoa do Ouro, Fernandes said.
- From the Associated Press
POMONA -- An Azusa man accused attempting to poison his wife's cereal with adhesive remover entered a no contest plea Wednesday and was immediately sentenced to eight years in state prison, officials said.
Fernando Porras, 43, was due for an arraignment hearing in Pomona Superior Court when he suddenly pleaded no contest to one count of poisoning, with a sentencing enhancement because the substance used had the potential to cause death or great bodily injury, Los Angeles County Superior Court officials said.
"Judge Jack Hunt immediately sentenced the defendant to eight years in state prison," Los Angeles County District Attorney's spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales said.
At sentencing, a charge of attempted murder was dismissed, she added.
His 51-year-old wife was not seriously harmed after ingesting some of the adhesive remover in her cereal, noticing a strange taste and going to a hospital, police said.
The cereal was a generic-brand rice cereal, Azusa police Detective Robert Landeros said.
The principal ingredient of the chemical -- identified as Goof Off-brand adhesive remover -- were xylenes and ethylbenzene, Landeros said.
The chemicals can cause serious health problems including brain and nervous system damage.
The bottle had a warning label on it indicating ingestion could cause serious injury or death, Landeros said.
Porras was arrested the evening of Feb. 2 after allegedly placing adhesive remover into his wife's cereal at their home in the 200 block of North Dalton Avenue, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokes
Porras accompanied his wife to the hospital, officials said, and it was there that his behavior drew the attention of investigators.
He told officials he was going outside to smoke a cigarette, but never returned, police said.
Additionally, police learned from family members that Porras had made incriminating statement, investigators said.
Testimony at Porras' preliminary hearing indicated the motive in the poisoning was marital problems the couple was going through, Davila-Morales said.
Though the case has come to a conclusion, Landeros said police were police officials continued to support the family members affected by the unusual crime.
"We're gonna be there for the family," he said. "It's a tragic event for any family to go through."
WEST COVINA -- Police are looking into a bizarre report of a medical marijuana robbery involving two attackers dressed as ninjas, officials said.
Police received the strange report shortly before 10 p.m. Friday from a medical marijuana delivery man who said he had been robbed in the 800 block of South Sunset Avenue, near Cameron Avenue, after making a delivery to a patient West Covina police Lt. Alan Henley said.
The delivery man, who was in his 40s, told police that, "As he was going back to his vehicle, he was approached by two subjects in ninja costumes who chased him with batons," the lieutenant said.
"The victim said he was scared and he dropped a bag with some marijuana and money. The suspects took it," Henley added.
It was not clear how much cash or pot was taken, police added.
The incident remained under investigation. Police were not aware of any other recent crimes involving suspects dressed as ninjas.
PASADENA -- A bone discovered by an employee earlier this week in a parking structure at a Pasadena hospital is not human, coroner's officials said Thursday.
The bone was discovered in a parking lot of Huntington Hospital, 100 W. California Blvd., shortly before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.
"An employee that was there located it on a retaining wall adjacent to the parking lot," the lieutenant said.
Hospital security and Pasadena police were notified, Ibarra said, and officials collected the object and delivered it to the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.
The bone was reportedly initially described as dirty and decomposed, and having the appearance of a mammalian hip bone.
Investigators determined the bone was "not human," coroner's Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said, however it was not clear what type of animal it may have belonged to.
SANTA FE SPRINGS -- A drunken driver is believed to be to be responsible for a crash that left a big-rig loaded with beer jack-knifed across the southbound lanes of the 605 Freeway Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
The driver of an Audi sedan that collided with the big-rig was arrested following the 1 p.m. crash on the southbound 605 Freeway near Florence Avenue, California Highway Patrol Sgt. A. Aleman said.
His name was not available Wednesday, Aleman added. He was initially described as a 26-year-old South Gate man.
The truck driver was not hurt, and the Audi driver was treated for apparently minor injuries, Aleman said.
The Audi had just entered the freeway from a 5 Freeway transition road when it collided with the brew-hauling big-rig, which was already southbound in the No. 3 lane of the 605, officials said.
The wreckage forced the closure of all but the carpool lane on the southbound side of the 605 for about three hours
The crash was being investigated by the Santa Fe Springs office of the CHP.
SAN DIMAS -- Sheriff's deputies arrested a man and two women on suspicion of auto theft Wednesday after a woman spotted her own car, which had been stolen earlier in the day, driving on the 10 Freeway, authorities said.
A woman had her Mazda Miata stolen Wednesday morning in Montclair, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Kirk Smith said.
As she was on her way to school on the 10 Freeway in another vehicle about 9:45 a.m., "She spotted her car driving down the freeway," Smith said.
The woman called deputies as she followed the car until it headed south on the 57 Freeway, exited at Arrow Highway and pulled into a gas station, Smith said.
The car and three suspects were still at the gas station when deputies arrived, he added. The suspects were arrested without a struggle.
The names of the suspects, who were turned over to Montclair police for booking, were not immediately available.
SAN DIMAS - Deputies are looking for whoever placed a booby trap in the middle of a street Friday that sent a rock crashing into a passing car.
The 30-year-old San Dimas man driving the car wasn't injured in the 7:50 p.m. incident, according to sheriff's Sgt. David Buckner.
But he said a rock, spray-painted black, smashed the windshield of the 2006 Audi and hit the right rear passenger door.
The device left in the 500 block of West Gladstone Street consisted of a rock placed on top of a 4-foot tall traffic delineator post. Both were painted black.
Buckner said the paint was still sticky and that the device was placed in the middle of the lane in a dark area.
Since the delineator post was four feet tall, he said the rock was positioned to hit a windshield.
It's not the first time this has happened on Gladstone Street, east of Amelia Avenue.
The sergeant said there have been three or four similar incidents in the past year where a painted rock and even a piece of plastic embedded with nails and drill bits were placed on the road.
"All in the same area," Buckner said.
While there have been no injuries, he said vehicles have been damaged including one driven by a reserve deputy.
Deputies don't know if the same person is behind all incidents.
Under the law, it is illegal to put oil, glass, nails or any substance on the street that will injure a person or an animal or damage a vehicle. It becomes a felony charge if the suspect does it with the intent to cause great bodily injury to anyone using the street.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the sheriff's San Dimas station at 909-450-2700.
- Ruby Gonzales
EAST LOS ANGELES -- A transient appeared in court Thursday to charges that he assaulted and broke the arm of another man earlier this week during an argument over a public toilet, authorities said.
Kenny Sakamoto pleaded not guilty to a charge of battery causing serious bodily injury, court officials said.
He was arrested Tuesday after a assaulting and breaking the arm of a 64-year-old Los Angeles man during an argument over who was going to first us a public restroom at a Montebello Del Taco restaurant, 880 N. Wilcox Ave., according to Montebello police Lt. Mike Bergman.
Sakamoto was ordered back to East Los Angeles Superior Court Friday for a bail review hearing, officials said.
Because Sakamoto uses a wheelchair and may require special accommodations, the date of his preliminary hearing was uncertain, officials added.
PASADENA -- A 61-year-old man chased down and tackled a would-be car thief Tuesday, restraining him with the help of a good Samaritan until police arrived, authorities said.
Cole Decosta, 22, of Pasadena was booked on suspicion of attempted auto theft in connection with the 5:30 a.m. incident at the Ramada Inn, 2156 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena police Lt. Rick Aversano said.
The victim went to his work truck parked at the hotel when he spotted a man -- later identified as Decosta -- inside of it, the lieutenant said.
The man confronted the thief, who ran, Aversano said. The 61-year-old chased down and tacked the much-younger man and held him down with the help of a bystander until police officers arrived and arrested him.
According to county booking records, Decosta was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail pending arraignment Thursday in Pasadena Superior Court.
WEST COVINA -- West Covina police are looking for the man whose foot will fit the size 13 Nike rubber shoe left behind after a Tuesday night robbery.
A female police officer found the shoe that fell off the crooked Cinderfella's foot as he fled with a bag containing an undisclosed amount.
The robber stole the bag from a woman at Westfield West Covina, 112 Plaza Drive just after 10 p.m., according to Lt. Marty Sevilla.
He said the woman went to a bank drop box on the first floor to deposit the day's receipts from a kiosk at the mall.
The robber approached from behind and grabbed the woman's wrist. Sevilla said the victim was knocked to the floor, the suspect took the bag and ran to a waiting light blue or gray minivan.
But the culprit left a clue.
"Apparently he lost one of his shoes," Sevilla said, adding that the shoe was discovered in the parking lot after a review of the surveillance video.
The victim wasn't taken to a hospital.
The robber was described as a black man in his late 20s to early 30s with a thin build and standing 5 feet 9 inches tall. He wore a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark-colored pants.
There was no description for the getaway driver.
- Ruby Gonzales
AZUSA -- Authorities continued seeking a truck that leaked a highly toxic chemical on a six-block stretch of Foothill Boulevard, prompting a closure for much of the day and a clean-up operation with a $10,000 price tag.
The chemical was later identified as chromic acid -- a toxic and carcinogenic cleaning material used in metal plating, Azusa police Cpl. Terry Smith said in a written statement.
"Witnesses reported the substance was leaking from an unidentified stake bed style truck that was traveling eastbound Foothill," Smith said.
The acid leaked onto eastbound lanes of the road from the 900 block of West Foothill Boulevard to the 300 block of West Foothill Boulevard, police added.
Westbound traffic lanes were briefly shut down following the spill, and eastbound lanes in the area remained closed for much of the day.
"The clean up costs were estimated at approximately $10,000," Smith added.
No injuries were reported as a result of the spill, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Azusa police at 626-812-3200.
NORWALK -- NORWALK -- Officials in Long Beach Friday morning found a man convicted of stalking entertainer Madonna who walked away from Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk last week, officials said.
Robert Hoskins, 54, was "located and en route back to the hospital," Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Pat Valdez said.
He walked away Feb. 3 from a non-secured area of the facility, 11401 Bloomfield Ave., where he was committed last year, officials said.
"The Long Beach Police Department transported the patient back to MSH where the patient is being housed in the hospital's high-security compound," MSH hospital spokesman Alonzo Townsell said. "MSH cannot release any specific information about patients due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act."
While the search for Hoskins was ongoing, Los Angeles police officials, in a written statement, described him as, "highly psychotic when not taking his medication," and had, "very violent tendencies."
Hoskins served a 10-year prison sentence for stalking and threatening Madonna after being convicted by a jury in 1996. The singer reluctantly testified against the man, who was shot by her personal security after he jumped the fence of her Hollywood Hills home.
"Upon his release from prison Hoskins also completed a stay at Atascadero State Hospital where he was determined to be a Mentally Disturbed Offender," according to the LAPD statement. Within about a year of being released from Atascadero, he had an additional police contact in July 2011 that resulted in his arrest and eventually being placed in Metropolitan State Hospital."
Court records indicate the July, 2011 arrest resulted in a conviction for vandalism.
Authorities had been searching the Long Beach and Paramount areas, where Hoskins was believed to have ties, officials said.
Hoskins was found in by Long Beach police about 9 a.m., police and sheriff's officials said.
"Officers in the area of South Street and Cherry Avenue in Long Beach saw a male subject matching the physical description of subject Hoskins walking down the street," sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker said. "Officers made contact with the subject, confirmed his identity to be that of Robert Hoskins, and took him into custody without incident or injury."
In addition to Madonna, Hoskins has also reportedly made threats against actress Halle Berry, contributing to her decision to ask a judge for permission to move herself and her daughter to France.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ALTADENA -- A woman is accused of intentionally striking a county employee with her car Friday following a dispute over an unleashed dog at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, authorities said.
Arune Kavaliauskaite, 28, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon following the 3 p.m. incident at the park, 1750 N. Altadena Drive, according to sheriff's officials and county booking records. Her city of residency was not clear Saturday.
A Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation employee approached Kavaliauskaite and told her she needed to put her dog on a leash, Lt. Denise Stephenson of the Sheriff's Park Services Bureau said.
"The suspect refused to put the dog on a leash (and) became abusive toward staff," the lieutenant said.
When the county employee began taking photographs of the Kavaliauskaite's car and her dog, she apparently became angry and intentionally struck the county employee with her car, Stephenson said. The employee suffered a minor knee injury.
Deputies responded and arrested Kavaliauskaite, officials said.
According to county booking records, Kavaliauskaite was released from jail Saturday morning after posting $30,000 bail pending her initial appearance in Pasadena Superior Court.
CONTRIBUTORS
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| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
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Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
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