Recent Crime Coverage from the Los Angeles Times

Kelly Thomas' father, other angry Fullerton residents want cops fired

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:15:42 -0700

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Angry Fullerton residents, including the father of beating death victim Kelly Thomas, blasted the City Council on Tuesday night for their handling of the Thomas case and urged them to fire the police officers involved in the incident.

It was their first opportunity to address city leaders since prosecutors played a graphic video of the beating during a preliminary hearing last week for two officers charged in the death.

A Superior Court judge last week found there was enough evidence for Officer Manuel Ramos to stand trial for second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and Cpl. Jay Cicinelli to face a trial for involuntary manslaughter and excessive force.

VIDEO: Kelly Thomas beating

At the meeting, Thomas' father, Ron Thomas, said he believes that another officer, Joseph Wolfe, should be charged -- and fired by the city.

"This is the first time you've ever heard me use this word. I demand ... " Ron Thomas said, trailing off while trying to hold back tears.

"You see what this has done to me? I can't even talk," Thomas said. "I demand that Joe Wolfe be terminated."

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

The crowd responded with applause.

Wolfe is the first officer seen in the video using physical force against Kelly Thomas, striking him with a baton.

"Why is Officer Wolfe still on paid administrative leave?" one resident asked. "Why is he on a holiday at our taxpayer expense? That's horrible, unconscionable and it needs to change yesterday."

Wolfe was one of four officers -- including Officer Kenton Hampton, Sgt. Kevin Craig and Cpl. James Blatney -- who were not charged in connection with the beating.

All four officers are currently on paid administrative leave.

Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas has not ruled out additional charges in the case.

The City Council also announced that it had approved a $1-million settlement resolving Cathy Thomas' legal claims in the death of her son. Ron Thomas has a separate claim that remains unresolved. The couple is divorced.

ALSO:

Author claims huge coverup in Zodiac Killer investigation

Estranged couple in custody dispute over Knuckles the dog

Drunk mom late to child’s birthday party hit 100 mph, CHP says

-- Richard Winton and KTLA News

Drunk mom late to child’s birthday party hit 100 mph, CHP says

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:56:32 -0700

A Sonoma County mother who said she was late to her child’s birthday party was arrested on suspicion of driving 100 mph while drunk, authorities said.

Katherine Russell, 34, of Rohnert Park, sped past a CHP officer Friday in a Highway 101 construction zone, officials told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Her Toyota 4Runner was going 100 mph by the time the CHP officer caught up to her, officials said.

Her blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit to drive, authorities said, and she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, driving without a license and traffic violations.

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Hit-and-run driver crashes into luxury car body shop

Author claims huge coverup in Zodiac Killer investigation

Retired LAPD homicide detective charged with killing his wife

-- Rosanna Xia

Estranged couple in custody dispute over Knuckles the dog

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:46:17 -0700

<&&&&&&&&> Would you sue for custody of your dog?

A New York man is feuding with his ex-girlfriend, now living in Southern California, over custody of their pet dog Knuckles, a pug-beagle mix.

Craig Dershowitz took to the Internet in an effort to help rescue his "kidnapped puppy," a dog he says was stolen by his ex-girlfriend, Sarah Brag. On the website, "Rescue Knux," Dershowitz said he is trying to raise money for a legal fund to help get the dog back. As of Wednesday morning, he had raised $3,750.

"All I want is to bring Knuckles back home to me," Dershowitz said in an Internet video. "In a lot of ways, he's like my son. He's absolutely the cutest dog in the universe. He has big floppy ears. He snores like an old man. His whole butt wiggles when he wags his tail. … He's incredible."

In the video, Dershowitz said he had to hire two private investigators to track his ex down.

Dershowitz claims a court awarded him custody, but Brega continuously files "frivolous" motions in a bid to bankrupt him.

In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," she said she thinks this case is about revenge.

"Knuckles has been with me since he was 8 weeks old," she said. "I really can't imagine my life without him."

A judge is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday.

ALSO:

Author claims huge coverup in Zodiac Killer investigation

3 pit bulls attack Riverside woman walking with daughter

Kelly Thomas case: Mother accepts $1-million settlement offer

-- From a Times staff writer

'Terminator 3' star Nick Stahl reported missing

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:34:41 -0700

Nick Stahl, the actor who played John Connor in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," is missing, an LAPD spokesman confirmed Wednesday.

Stahl's wife, Rose Murphy, reported him missing about 10:10 a.m. Monday to Hollywood division officers, said spokesman Richard French. Foul play is not suspected at this time, he said.

She said the last time she saw him was May 9, KTLA-TV reported, adding he had been frequenting the Skid Row area recently.

Murphy filed court papers in February, saying the couple had been separated since January. She asked that Stahl's visitations with their daughter, Marlo, 2, be limited. She also asked for proof he hadn't used drugs within 24 hours before seeing her, KTLA-TV reported.

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Author claims huge coverup in Zodiac Killer investigation

Solar eclipse 2012: The best place to view it in California?

Kelly Thomas' father, other angry Fullerton residents want cops fired

-- Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Nick Stahl at the world premiere in 2003 of "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" in Westwood. Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Hit-and-run driver crashes into luxury car body shop

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:05:34 -0700

Police were searching Wednesday for the driver of a Lincoln Town Car that crashed into an exotic car body shop, critically injuring his passenger and damaging a Ferrari and a Lamborghini.

The crash occurred about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday at Specialty Craft Car in the 1800 block of La Cienega Boulevard. The driver fled on foot, and his passenger, identified as a woman in her early 30s, was hospitalized in critical condition, LAPD Officer Rosario Herrera said.

Witnesses said the driver pulled the woman out of the car before running away, according to KTLA-TV.

The car crashed into the glass doors of the shop, damaging several luxury cars. The shop owner told KABC-TV the total damage appears to be about $200,000.

No arrests had been made, and the cause of the crash was under investigation.

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Police to search Irvine landfill for two boys' bodies

Solar eclipse 2012: The best place to view it in California?

Slain man found in Castro Valley garage, house filled with blood

--Rosanna Xia

Assisted suicide or a show of love?

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

SAN MARCOS, Calif. —When paramedics arrived at the Purdy home March 20, Margaret was seated in her favorite chair in the living room. The morning sunshine streamed in through a picture window that overlooked a valley. A plastic bag was over her head, tied securely at the neck.

A suicide note in her handwriting was in a folder on her desk, beneath a shelf with books about death and dying. She had written that the pain from her various medical conditions had become unbearable.

Alan Purdy met the paramedics at the door. He said that his 84-year-old wife had taken 30 sleeping pills mixed with applesauce and then suffocated herself.

Please hurry, he recalled telling them. She had donated her body to UC San Diego Medical Center, he said, and they need to harvest her organs for transplant as soon as possible.

Sheriff's deputies showed up and took him to the backyard patio, away from his wife's body. Purdy, 88, shivered in the cold, still urging them to hurry.

The deputies started questioning Purdy. He repeated what he had told the medics: He was present as his wife committed suicide. He insisted he did not help her but admitted he did not try to stop her.

Homicide detectives then led him in handcuffs to the patrol car and drove him to the nearby sheriff's station. His shoes were taken away. He accepted a blanket and threw it over his shoulders. He said he could not stop shaking and grew increasingly upset.

After several hours, he was taken to the San Diego County jail in Vista and booked on suspicion of assisting in a suicide.

At Purdy's arraignment March 28, prosecutors told the judge that the case was under review. San Diego County Dist. Atty. Bonnie Dumanis has not yet decided whether to file a criminal charge against Purdy.

"Yes, I sat beside her as she died," said Purdy in the bedroom he and Margaret shared for almost 15 years. "I didn't want her to feel abandoned. I wanted her to know that I loved her."

In his two-story home on a winding tree-shaded street, Purdy is surrounded by the books and keepsakes of his and Margaret's melded lives: pictures of each other's children, grandchildren and shared vacations; her paintings; mementos from his time as a World War II pilot.

The Purdys married in 1997. His wife had died several years earlier of breast cancer. Her husband had died of a heart attack.

Margaret had worked as the chief financial officer in a company founded by her first husband. She spent a lot of her free time painting landscapes. Alan, who had semi-retired as a biomedical engineer, continued to do consulting work. He designed their dream home in San Marcos.

The couple frequently traveled to Baja California and enjoyed reading and gardening.

Though her health was fragile, Margaret seemed to be coping reasonably well with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that strikes mainly women and can damage the teeth, the eyes, and other organs.

More recently, though, she had suffered from pancreatitis and three fractured vertebrae that didn't properly heal. She was in constant pain and couldn't get out of bed without her husband's help. She stopped painting.

Last December, Alan was away on business when Margaret tried to take her life by carbon monoxide poisoning. She was semiconscious when he returned home and found her in the garage, sitting in their Honda with the engine running. He pulled her out of the car and into the house and revived her.

In February, she gathered her five children and told them she couldn't bear the pain, despite numerous medications prescribed by her doctors. A daughter flew in from England, aware that it was a farewell gathering.

Purdy said his wife was strong-willed. "She was her own person," he said. "She decided she was going to die by her own hand."

For prosecutors, assisted-suicide cases are ethically vexing and legally murky, said Justin Brooks, a criminal defense attorney and director of the California Innocence Project at California Western School of Law.

Prosecutors worry that declining to prosecute will put them on a slippery slope: What if the next case involves someone whose illness was not terminal? What if the surviving partner had a financial interest in the death?

With few precedents to guide them, prosecutors are left to wonder at what point assisting a suicide becomes a criminal act.

Then there is the practical question: Can a prosecutor possibly convince a jury to convict a loving spouse for sitting passively?

"A jury will say, 'Yes, that's the law, but we're not going to find someone guilty of helping a loved one end their suffering,'" Brooks said. "It's an extremely difficult situation for everyone."

Purdy's attorney, Herbert Weston, hopes the district attorney will consider the circumstances that led to Purdy's actions in his wife's death. "I hope everyone looks at this for what it is: not a criminal prosecution," he said.

Oregon, Montana and Washington have laws that permit physician-assisted suicide.

In California, assisting in a suicide is a felony. The law was written to keep anyone from aiding, advising or encouraging suicide but is rarely enforced. A Lodi woman convicted in 2009 of helping her brother, a stroke victim, take his life was sentenced to community service.

Federal prosecutors in San Diego recently decided against filing an assisted suicide charge against a 92-year-old El Cajon woman who sold "suicide kits" through the mail. Instead she was charged with tax evasion for failing to report income from the kits; a judge last week accepted a plea bargain that included probation and a promise to stop selling the kits.

In 1999, Dumanis' predecessor charged a retired Navy officer, Thomas May, with the murder of his wife, Hazel, who was dying from ALS, known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He had carried her to their closed garage and started the car. He held her and had hoped to die with her, but he survived. Before his trial, he took a fatal overdose of pills.

The May case unnerved everyone, according to the lead investigator, Sue Fasching, a San Diego police sergeant who is now retired. Back at the police station, Fasching recalled, officers said they had no choice but to arrest the husband but admitted that if they were in his situation, they would have done something similar.

Dumanis, who is running for mayor of San Diego, declined to discuss the Purdy case or her philosophy about assisted suicide.

After his arrest, Purdy never saw his wife again. By the time he got home, her body had been taken to the medical examiner's office. She never made it to UC San Diego as an organ donor.

"I don't know anyone in the family who wants to see Alan in court over this," said John Muster, a high school principal in Berkeley who is married to Purdy's daughter Catherine.

Purdy had his wife's body cremated. He attended a memorial for her at a Unitarian church. He didn't go when her children scattered her ashes in the Pacific Ocean; he said he didn't have the strength.

tony.perry@latimes.com

Homeless man's mother settles with Fullerton over his death

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

The mother of a mentally ill homeless man who died after he was beaten by Fullerton police has reached a settlement with the city that will pay her $1 million, officials announced Tuesday evening.

The agreement unanimously approved by the Fullerton City Council resolves Cathy Thomas' legal claims against the city involving the death of Kelly Thomas, 37. He died July 10, five days after his violent confrontation with Fullerton Police Department officers.

Thomas reached the settlement after voluntary mediation with her attorney, city officials said.

"Resolution of Ms. Thomas' claim at this time allows her to begin the healing process and avoid what would likely be protracted, expensive and difficult civil litigation," Thomas and the city said in a joint statement.

The brutal confrontation, which was captured on surveillance video paired with audio from devices worn by the officers, has rocked the north Orange County city. Thomas' death became a rallying point that sparked a mass protest movement and led to the departure of a police chief and a planned recall election next month against three council members.

The settlement does not resolve a claim filed by Thomas' father, Ron Thomas, for damages. Ron and Cathy Thomas are divorced.

Ron Thomas has pushed strongly to have the six officers involved in the incident fired and tried on criminal charges.

An Orange County Superior Court judge found last week that there was enough evidence for two of those officers to stand trial. Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, will be tried on charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter; Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, will face trial on involuntary manslaughter and excessive force charges.

The ruling, which followed an emotionally charged hearing, means that Ramos could be the first police officer in modern Orange County history to be tried for murder for on-duty actions.

The video of the confrontation between Kelly Thomas and the officers was shown for the first time during the three-day preliminary hearing. The footage shows Thomas on the ground, screaming, as officers pile on top of him and hit him with fists, a baton and finally the butt of a stun gun.

Before the beating, the video showed Ramos growing visibly frustrated as a shirtless Thomas, sitting on a curb while detained by the officers investigating reports of someone trying to break into cars at the downtown transit center, failed to follow commands to put his legs out in front of him and his hands on his knees.

At one point, Ramos put on a pair of gloves and told Thomas, "See these fists? They're getting ready to f— you up, if you don't f— start listening."

Brian Gurwitz, the attorney for Cathy Thomas, said late Tuesday that his client hopes the settlement will help "continue the healing process that she and the citizens of this county are going through, including the many honorable members of Orange County's law enforcement community."

But, he added, "to lose a son at the hands of rogue police officers is an indescribable horror. There is nothing this council could ever do to compensate her for the loss she's suffered."

richard.winton@latimes.com

Los Angeles Times staff writer Robert J. Lopez contributed to this report.

Retired LAPD homicide detective charged with killing his wife

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:42:47 -0700

A retired Los Angeles Police Department detective who worked on several high-profile homicide cases was in a Hawaiian jail Wednesday after he was formally charged with murder for allegedly killing his wife in 2006.

Dan DeJarnette, 59, appeared Tuesday in a Hawaii courtroom after a grand jury indicted him in the slaying of his wife, Yu DeJarnette. He was arrested Monday at his home on the Big Island.

He said at the time of his wife's November 2006 death that he had awakened and found her lying on a lava embankment about 20 feet from the couple’s home in Ka'u on the southern end of island.

She suffered severe head trauma and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. DeJarnette told patrol officers his 56-year-old wife had been hurt in an accident. But an autopsy determined she died from head trauma, and the retired officer was booked on suspicion of murder — and then released because of lack of evidence.

But authorities took a new look at the case in January. After additional investigation that included testing of DNA evidence, prosecutors secured an indictment against DeJarnette from a Hawaii grand jury, according to sources familiar with the case. They declined to be identified because the investigation is ongoing.

The indictment comes just days after former LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole for killing her ex-boyfriend's wife nearly three decades ago in a fit of rage and jealousy.

LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman had no immediate comment on the DeJarnette case because he said DeJarnette is retired and the LAPD is not handling the criminal investigation.

After joining the LAPD in 1982, DeJarnette worked as a homicide detective at the Van Nuys Division and investigated rape cases while assigned to the department’s Robbery Homicide Division-Rape Special Section.

During his tenure, he handled several high-profile investigations, including a fatal Christmas night shooting at an Echo Park pizza parlor in 1990, the 1993 stabbing death of a woman and her unborn baby at an automated teller machine in Sherman Oaks, and a 1981 cold-case murder of a newlywed in her Sherman Oaks home by a serial rapist.

DeJarnette moved to the Big Island after his retirement in 2003 from the LAPD. He was being held in lieu of $200,000 bail.

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Ex-LAPD homicide detective arrested in wife's 2006 Hawaii slaying

-- Andrew Blankstein

Author claims huge coverup in Zodiac Killer investigation

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:34:19 -0700

The author of a new book about the Zodiac Killer, who struck Northern California four decades ago, claims there was a massive law enforcement coverup that prevented the killer from being caught.

"The Zodiac Killer Cover Up" is a new book written by a former California Highway Patrol officer, Lyndon Lafferty.

Lafferty claims the killer is now a 91-year-old man living in Solano County. The book uses aliases and does not identify the alleged killer by name. Lafferty claims he and other lawmen investigated the suspect in the early 1970s but were stymied by "power brokers" in Solano County. Lafferty claims the killer was motivated by jealousy because his wife was having an affair.

The Zodiac Killer is blamed for at least five slayings in 1968 and 1969. There was never an arrest in the case.

In an interview this week with ABC News, Lafferty claims the killer was protected.

“The police departments in general were acting under the authority of the Solano County sheriff, so they were instructed you do not investigate this man until you have permission from the judge,” he said. “It’s been very traumatic, and it’s been frustrating beyond belief.”

Lafferty added: “I am the only person who can testify under oath that these things were absolutely true. My satisfaction is telling my story as it happened.”

Three killings occurred in Vallejo. Teenagers David Farraday and Betty Lou Jensen were shot to death in December 1968. Darlene Ferrin, 22, was shot and killed seven months later at Blue Rock Springs Golf Club. Her companion, Michael Mageau, 19, survived.

The San Francisco police formally closed the case in 2004.

The Zodiac killer got his name by taunting newspapers and the police with letters and puzzles.

"The police shall never catch me, because I have been too clever for them," he wrote in a letter sent to the San Francisco Chronicle.

"I enjoy needling the blue pigs," he wrote. Detectives thought they might have had a break two years ago, when a partial DNA profile was taken from envelopes containing the letters.

The genetic evidence seemed to clear the only suspect ever named by police -- Arthur Leigh Allen of Vallejo. Allen, who was never charged, died of a heart attack in 1992.

ALSO:

Police to search Irvine landfill for two boys' bodies

Retired LAPD homicide detective charged with killing his wife

Slain man found in Castro Valley garage, house filled with blood

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: A San Francisco Police Department wanted poster for the Zodiac Killer. Credit: Associated Press

Slain man found in Castro Valley garage, house filled with blood

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:17:37 -0700

Authorities in the Northern California community of Castro Valley are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in the garage of a blood-soaked home, they said.

Alameda County sheriffs had followed an anonymous tip, which did not provide an address but reported that someone “had been done some harm,” officials told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Authorities came up with the location based on previous neighborhood complaints about traffic and parties at the home.

A group of people outside the house fled when deputies arrived Monday night, and there was a significant amount of blood in the house.

No arrests have been made, authorities said, and the man’s identity and cause of death were still under investigation.

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3 pit bulls attack Riverside woman walking with daughter

Kelly Thomas case: mother accepts $1-million settlement offer

L.A. Now Live: A daily conversation with The Times newsroom

-- Rosanna Xia

Police to search Irvine landfill for two boys' bodies

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:12:17 -0700

Authorities planned to continue searching an Irvine landfill Wednesday for two young boys believed to have been killed by their father more than a month ago.

Police began focusing their attention on the landfill after a previous search of a Brea landfill came up empty.

Investigators believe Shazer Fernando Limas, 31, is responsible for the death of his girlfriend and their 1-year-old and 3-month-old children. He was arrested May 3 after leading police on a high-speed chase for more than an hour and was later charged with three counts of special circumstances murder, which make him eligible for the death penalty.

His girlfriend's body was located in the L.A. County morgue April 25 after being found in a gutter in La Puente. Prosecutors believe Limas stabbed his girlfriend and the children in their upscale apartment in Orange on April 14.

Police originally scoured the Brea landfill for the children's bodies, but began searching an Irvine landfill Tuesday morning after investigators learned that trash from Limas' apartment complex is funneled to both locations, said Sgt. Dan Adams with the Orange Police Department.

He said it was likely cadaver dogs will continue the search until Friday, but cautioned it will be difficult.

"The trash from a month ago could be 20 feet deep," he said.

ALSO:

Kelly Thomas' mother accepts $1 million settlement offer

3 pit bulls attack Riverside woman walking with daughter

Assessor corruption probe widening, grand jury expected, D.A. says

-- Nicole Santa Cruz

Photo: Shazer Fernando Limas. Credit: Associated Press

L.A. Now Live: Discuss Kelly Thomas case and $1-million settlement

Wed, 16 May 2012 06:00:00 -0700

Times crime reporter Richard Winton will join City Editor Shelby Grad for a discussion about the latest developments in the Kelly Thomas case.

The chat will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday and questions can be submitted live during the conversation.

Thomas' mother has reached a settlement with the city of Fullerton that will pay her $1 million in the death of her son. The mentally ill homeless man died last July after he was beaten by Fullerton police.

The settlement agreement unanimously approved Tuesday by the Fullerton City Council resolves Cathy Thomas' legal claims against the city. Kelly Thomas' father still has a separate, unresolved claim.

The Fullerton Task Force on Homelessness and Mental Health Services, created after the beating, is also recommending that the city work with the county to create a regional year-round homeless shelter and a permanent supportive housing development for the mentally ill; request a clinician from the county's behavioral health services department to work with the Fullerton Police Department on outreach to the mentally ill homeless; and ask the county to implement Laura's Law, which would create court-ordered outpatient treatment for the severely mentally ill.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=067f2464e9&amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; _mce_href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=067f2464e9&amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;L.A. Now Live with city editor Shelby Grad&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Kelly Thomas case: mother accepts $1-million settlement offer

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:07:52 -0700

The mother of a mentally ill homeless man who died after he was beaten by Fullerton police has reached a settlement with the city that will pay her $1 million.

The settlement agreement unanimously approved Tuesday by the Fullerton City Council resolves Cathy Thomas' legal claims against the city regarding the death of her son, Kelly Thomas, 37. He died in July 2011, five days after his confrontation with Fullerton Police Department officers.

Thomas reached the settlement after voluntary mediation with her attorney, Brian Gurwitz, city officials said.

VIDEO: Kelly Thomas beating

"Resolution of Ms. Thomas’ claim at this time allows her to begin the healing process and avoid what would likely be protracted, expensive and difficult civil litigation," Thomas and the city said in a joint statement.

The settlement does not resolve a claim filed by Thomas' father, Ron Thomas, for damages. He has vigorously pushed for the firing of the six officers and to have them tried on criminal charges.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

The settlement comes on the heels of that preliminary hearing, during which a 33-minute video and audio recording of the incident was played. The recordings so horrified some in the gallery that they had to leave the courtroom.

The beating sparked outrage in the community and resulted in an effort to recall three council members in next month's election.

Cop believes he is innocent in Kelly Thomas death, lawyer says

Kelly Thomas death: Reforms needed in Fullerton, task force says

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Fullerton police Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, left, and Officer Manuel Ramos. Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

3 pit bulls attack Riverside woman walking with daughter

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:08:19 -0700

A Riverside woman walking with her daughter was attacked by three pit bulls, officials said Tuesday.

Leesa Lyon and her teenage daughter were walking to their apartment in the city's La Sierra neighborhood when the loose dogs attacked, according to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

The mother stood between her daughter as the animals bit her lower body. The daughter ran into the family car and called 911, the department said.

"This was a serious incident," Sgt. Jason Sanders said in a statement. "But the victim is very fortunate."

Lyon drove herself to a hospital and was treated.

The dogs, owned by a neighbor, were unlicensed and had no vaccinations, the department said. The animals were being held pending a hearing to determine whether they pose a danger to the public.

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Rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse comes to California this weekend

Ex-LAPD homicide detective arrested in wife's 2006 Hawaii slaying

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: One of the dogs involved in the attack. Credit: Riverside County Department of Animal Services

Assessor corruption probe widening, grand jury expected, D.A. says

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:39:27 -0700

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley said on Tuesday that the corruption investigation of Assessor John Noguez has grown to include other individuals and that he intends to seek grand jury indictments in the near future.

In his first public comments about the expanding criminal probe, Cooley also accused the union that represents assessor’s office employees of inappropriately interfering with the investigation by ordering members to refuse to cooperate without permission from Noguez’s office.

“They’re telling potential witnesses that, until they get permission from the No. 1 target, they can’t talk,” Cooley told The Times, waving a copy of the memo at a conference table in his office. He added that whoever issued the order will probably be the first person summoned to testify under oath in front of the grand jury.

The investigation, which began last year, has centered on tax breaks allegedly extended to Noguez campaign contributors and would-be contributors. Property tax bills are based on “assessed values,” which are determined by Noguez’s staff. A lower assessed value means a lower tax bill.

Noguez has denied any wrongdoing.

County seeks reasons for $50-million drop in tax estimate

L.A. supervisors grill assessor over change in property tax forecast

--Jack Dolan and Ruben Vives

Photo: L.A. County Assessor John Noguez; Credit: Los Angeles Times

O.C. couple plead guilty to faking death to get benefits

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:07:08 -0700

A Santa Ana husband and wife pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of faking the man's death to steal more than $400,000 in death benefits, authorities said.

Santiago Carrasco, 52, and Rosa Carrasco, 54, were accused of traveling to Mexico in the summer of 2004 to obtain a phony death certificate stating that he died of a heart attack there, the Orange County district attorney's office said.

In September 2004, Rosa Carrasco began collecting death benefits on behalf of her husband, according to prosecutors. She was charged with receiving the money while the couple were living together in Santa Ana.

Prosecutors said the Carrascos were collecting the benefits up until their arrest Aug. 1, 2011.

Each was sentenced to two years in custody and two years of mandatory supervision after they are released, the district attorney's office said. The couple was also ordered to pay more than $413,000 in restitution.

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— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Santiago and Rosa Carrasco. Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

Well-Dressed Bandit sentenced for nine bank robberies

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:02:18 -0700

The bank robber called the Well-Dressed Bandit is changing his expensive threads for prison garb.

Anthony Burgess, 30, of San Diego, was sentenced Tuesday to four years and three months in federal prison after pleading guilty to the nine bank robberies that the FBI called the Well-Dressed Bandit series because of the robber's taste in clothes.

Under a plea agreement accepted by federal Judge Michael Anello, Burgess will pay $48,024 in restitution to the banks.

Burgess was arrested after an off-duty police officer saw him leaving the scene of the ninth robbery in a late-model Mercedes.

According to court testimony, Burgess, who was unemployed, said he needed the money to continue to enjoy fine clothes and fancy automobiles and was also thinking of starting a music company.

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Well-Dressed Bandit on surveillance camera. Credit: FBI

Suspect charged with attempted murder in police chase

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:57:53 -0700

An accused gang member was charged Tuesday with attempted murder of a police officer and premeditated attempted murder of another person following a high-speed police pursuit in Fullerton.

Authorities say Diego Alejandro Figueroa, 22, of Buena Park, and Aurelio Ramos-Navarette, another accused gang member, crashed a vehicle through a fence and plunged into a drainage canal at the end of a high-speed pursuit last week.

Ramos-Navarette ran from the truck and hid in a connecting tunnel within the drainage canal. Shortly afterward, he shot at officers, and they returned fire and killed him, police said.

Figueroa is charged with one felony count of attempted murder on a police officer, one felony count of conspiracy to commit murder, one felony count of attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation, one felony count of shooting an inhabited dwelling from a vehicle, one felony count of evading a police officer while driving recklessly, one felony count of possession of a firearm, and one felony count of active participation in a criminal street gang.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 80 years to life in state prison. The defendant is being held on $2-million bail and is subject to a no-bail probation violation hold.

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Police move search for two boys' bodies to Irvine landfill

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:56:41 -0700

The bodies of two young boys believed to have been killed by their father more than a month ago still have not been found, and police are now focusing their attention on an Irvine landfill.

Investigators believe that Shazer Fernando Limas, 31, is responsible for the death of his girlfriend and their 1-year-old and 3-month-old children. He was arrested May 3 after leading police on a high-speed chase for more than an hour and was later charged with three counts of special circumstances murder, which make him eligible for the death penalty.

His girlfriend's body was located in the L.A. County morgue April 25 after being found in a gutter in La Puente. Prosecutors believe that Limas stabbed his girlfriend and the children in their upscale apartment in Orange on April 14.

He said it was likely that cadaver dogs will continue the search until Friday, but cautioned that it will be difficult.

"The trash from a month ago could be 20 feet deep," he said.

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Third defendant pleads not guilty to murder charge in death of Marine wife

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:53:43 -0700

A third suspect pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of murder in the death of 22-year-old Brittany Dawn Killgore, the wife of a Marine at Camp Pendleton.

Dorothy Grace Marie Maraglino, 36, was arrested in a hotel in downtown San Diego on Thursday night by San Diego County Sheriff's Department homicide detectives and Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents.

Maraglino entered her plea in the Vista branch of the San Diego County Superior Court. Her bail was set at $3 million.

Staff Sgt. Louis Perez, 45, and Jessica Lynn Lopez, 25, have already been charged. Killgore's body was found dumped near Lake Skinner in Riverside County. Perez and Lopez have pleaded not guilty and are each being held on $3-million bail.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Patrick Espinoza said Maraglino helped persuade Killgore to go on a dinner cruise with Perez. Killgore had once visited the home in Fallbrook that Maraglino, Perez and Lopez shared.

Within minutes of being picked up by Perez, Killgore sent a text message to a friend saying she was in "distress" and needed help, Espinoza said. Perez was the last person seen with Killgore on April 13.

The killing occurred at the Fallbrook home, Espinoza said. Killgore had once been at the house when she accompanied a friend who was buying something advertised on the Internet by someone living in the house, he said.

Killgore's blood was found in Perez's vehicle, along with a weapon, prosecutors have said. Lopez was arrested in a San Diego motel April 17 after allegedly attempting suicide; hours after her arrest, Killgore's body was located.

Killgore had filed for divorce from her husband, Lance Cpl. Cory Killgore, just days before she disappeared and was preparing to move to Missouri, where she has family. Her husband was serving in Afghanistan but has returned to the U.S. on emergency leave arranged by the Red Cross.

He and Perez served at Camp Pendleton.

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Brittany Dawn Killgore. Credit: San Diego County Sheriff's Department

Supervisors spend $1.7-million to store videos that monitor jails

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:49:19 -0700

Los Angeles County supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved spending nearly $1.7 million on a system to store video footage taken to monitor inmates and guards in the county's troubled jail system.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, who work as jail guards, began to install more than 1,500 cameras last year in the halls of Men’s Central Jail and the Twin Towers jail in downtown Los Angeles. The move came after the Sheriff's Department was criticized for failing to properly oversee the nation’s largest jail system.

Reports in The Times and other outlets outlined accusations of corruption and inmate abuse, and the video logs are intended to provide a historical record that could help the county defend itself against future lawsuits, county officials say.

The videos could be kept for up to two years.

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Vandals topple about 40 headstones at Modesto cemeteries

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:43:06 -0700

<&&&&&&> Vandals toppled as many as 40 headstones – including some that were handcarved and more than 100 years old – at three Modesto cemeteries.

The vandalism occurred sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning, according to Modesto's Citizens' Cemetery. Headstones and monuments were rocked back and forth until they broke off from their bases. The damage is estimated at $150,000.

Many of the older headstones are handcarved and irreplaceable, officials said.

St. Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery and Acacia Memorial Park were also hit.

Citizens' Cemetery is a nonprofit cemetery and doesn't have the money, equipment or staff needed for repairs.

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-- Fox 40 Sacramento

Fisherman gets jail time, ban for lobster poaching in Laguna

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:20:13 -0700

A Riverside County man caught poaching lobsters in Laguna Beach has been sentenced to jail, fined and banned from the state’s newly established marine reserve.

Marbel A. Para was also ordered to forfeit his diving equipment.

The 30-year-old Romoland resident marks the first successful prosecution of a so-called resource crime since the establishment of the Marine Protection areas off the Southern California coast went into effect Jan. 1, according to the state Department of Fish and Game.

"This diver intentionally took a huge overlimit of lobster with no regard for the current laws," said Paul Hamdorf, of the Fish and Game agency. Para had three times the legal limit of lobsters when he was caught, according to the department.

Fish and Game wardens found Para and a companion after midnight on Jan. 15 with 47 California spiny lobsters, the department said. All but five were undersized.

The Riverside County man was sentenced to three years' probation, seven days in Orange County jail and levied a $20,000 fine. His companion was not cited.

Para was also ordered to stay away from the state Marine Reserve in Laguna Beach.

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--Barbara Diamond, TCN

Photo: The spiny lobster. Credit: Los Angeles Times

City must pay cop $1 million in retaliation case

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:14:32 -0700

The city of Los Angeles was ordered to pay just over $1 million in damages Tuesday after a jury found that LAPD officials retaliated against a sergeant who reported a superior officer for allegedly evading tolls for several months on the 91 Freeway.

Gregory W. Smith, the attorney representing Sgt. James Abbate, successfully argued that his client was subjected to retaliation and neglect-of-duty complaints after reporting the alleged violations by Ruben De La Torre, who worked in the LAPD's media relations office before being promoted to captain of the West Los Angeles Division.

De La Torre, who abruptly resigned last year in the midst of an LAPD internal affairs probe, was accused of repeatedly failing to pay proper tolls during commutes from his Inland Empire home to West Los Angeles.

In court, Smith presented evidence that De La Torre evaded tolls between March 2009 to January 2010, although he did not specify to jurors exactly how many of the alleged violations took place.

He also presented evidence that the former LAPD captain tried to cover up his alleged misdeeds by removing one of his license plates and taping over another. He was also accused of lying to LAPD investigators about the alleged misconduct.

Abbate, a 28-year-veteran, who had no history of prior personnel complaints, first raised concerns about De La Torre to his superiors in September 2009, according to Smith. De La Torre's alleged conduct was not addressed, but Abbate became the subject of two neglect-of-duty complaints, including an alleged failure to quickly send a squad car to the Getty Center-Malibu and take a domestic violence complaint.

Abbate was cleared of any wrongdoing, but Smith said De La Torre changed those findings to sustain the complaints against his client.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court jury, which voted 12-0 in favor of Abbate, reached its verdict in about four hours. The damages totaled just over $1 million and included $111,224 for future economic damages as well as past, non-economic damages of $475,000. In addition, the jury found future non-economic damages of $434,000.

The LAPD and the city attorney's office declined comment, citing a possible appeal in the case.

Smith, who has declared candidacy for Los Angeles city attorney, said the verdict was the latest in a string of victories for his clients who have sued the LAPD for retaliation.

"Despite numerous policies at the LAPD, attempts to stop retaliation [against whistleblowers] has failed," Smith said. "The policies aren't going to stop retaliation; it will require a change in culture from the rank of captain and above."

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Gang member convicted in 1994 killing after DNA link

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:18:37 -0700

A Los Angeles County jury has convicted a gang member in the 1994 killing of a Studio City man and the attempted murder of the man's wife after DNA tied him to the crime scene.

Jurors deliberated for two days before convicting Kevin Bernard Smith Jr., 36, of the first-degree murder of Rupert “Rudy” Thompson, 73, with the special circumstance allegations that the murder was committed during the course of a burglary and robbery, Los Angeles County Deputy Dist Atty. Daniel Akemon said.

Jurors on Monday also convicted Smith of the premeditated attempted murder of Thompson’s wife.

The case was filed in 2010 when DNA recovered from two bloodstains left at the crime scene was matched to Smith through the state DNA database.

He now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder, plus one life term for the attempted murder. Judge Joseph Brandolino, who presided over the nine-day trial, said Smith was expected to be sentenced June 27.

Prosecutors allege that Smith, armed with a .380-caliber handgun, broke into the Thompson home at 1 a.m on Jan. 26, 1994. During the burglary, Smith entered the victims’ bedroom and shot the wife in the chest. He then shot Thompson in the chest and struck him more than a dozen times over the head with the gun.

A Rolling 20s gang member whose moniker is “Jazzy,” Smith ransacked the home and fled with a typewriter and jewelry. Rudy Thompson was able to crawl out of the house to summon help for his wife before he died on the front lawn of their home. His wife, now 87, survived the attack.

Smith was serving a prison sentence in Mississippi on an unrelated drug sales charge when police matched the DNA.

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Ex-Commerce official to serve home detention

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:05:10 -0700

A former Commerce councilman was sentenced by a federal judge to eight months of home detention and five years probation for trying to hide campaign contributions.

Robert Fierro, who recently resigned from his position, must also serve 500 hours of community service, wear an electronic monitoring bracelet during his home detention and pay a $3,000 fine after pleading guilty to a felony conspiracy charge, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Fierro reimbursed some contributors to his 2005 campaign with cash in a scheme that hid the true source of the funds, according to a sworn statement from his treasurer, who has also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge.

When he learned of an FBI investigation into the scheme, he urged a contributor to tell "false stories" before the grand jury, the statement said.

Fierro, a preschool teacher, had been indicted by a grand jury and faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Fierro resigned before the sentencing but would not have been able to hold office as a convicted felon.

"Essentially this is someone who has betrayed the public trust," said Assistant U.S. Atty. Elisa Fernandez. "Interfering with witnesses goes to the core of our judiciary system."

In a recent interview, Fierro took full responsibility. "This mistake was contrary to all my beliefs and against everything I have strived to stand for," he said. "I take full responsibility for my actions."

Fierro is the second Commerce official to be convicted on corruption charges since 2010. That year, Councilman Hugo Argumedo pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after he signed a false affidavit in support of an attorney who was suing the city over legal fees. Argumedo also resigned from office after pleading guilty. The city of 13,000, which is about 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, has been known for its tumultuous political climate.

Recall campaigns have occurred frequently there in recent years, including an effort to oust Fierro in 2008. The 2005 election was Fierro's first political campaign, and he secured a narrow victory. The next spring, Fierro became aware of a federal investigation into his campaign, according to the statement from Ana Perez, his sister-in-law, who served as treasurer for the campaign. Perez and Fierro agreed to influence one contributor to deny the reimbursements in an interview with FBI agents, the statement said.

They also told the contributor, who was not named in the court documents, stories he could give to a grand jury to explain how the cash ended up in his bank account.

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-- Richard Winton

Photo: FBI agents take Robert Fierro into custody at the Federal Building in Westwood in 2010. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Ex-LAPD homicide detective arrested in wife's 2006 Hawaii slaying

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:48:43 -0700

A retired LAPD homicide detective has been arrested in the fatal beating of his wife in Hawaii six years ago after being long suspected of the crime, police officials said Tuesday.

Dan DeJarnette, 59, was taken into custody without incident Monday night at his home on the Big Island in connection with the slaying of his wife, Yu Dejarnette.

He said at the time of her November 2006 death that he had awakened and found her lying on a lava embankment about 20 feet from the couple’s home in Ka'u on the southern end of island. She suffered severe head trauma and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

DeJarnette told patrol officers his 56-year-old wife had been hurt in an accident. But an autopsy determined she died from head trauma, and the retired officer was booked on suspicion of murder — and then released because of lack of evidence.

He was scheduled to make his first appearance Tuesday in a Hawaiian courtroom. He was being held in lieu of $200,000 bail.

LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman had no immediate comment on the DeJarnette case because he said DeJarnette is retired and the LAPD is not handling the criminal investigation.

DeJarnette moved to the Big Island after his retirement in 2003 from the LAPD.

In a 2009 interview with the Associated Press in a story about high unemployment in Hawaii, DeJarnette mentioned he had worked for the LAPD but not his previous arrest.

''I get kind of bored sitting at home,” DeJarnette told the wire service, noting he wanted to pay down some of his credit cards. "My wife passed a couple years ago, and now I'm waiting every day for the mailman to come, so I need to work."

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Kelly Thomas death: Reforms needed in Fullerton, task force says

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:40:50 -0700

A task force created in the wake of the death of Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic homeless man who had a violent confrontation with six Fullerton police officers, is preparing to present a set of recommendations to the Fullerton City Council.

The Fullerton Task Force on Homelessness and Mental Health Services, whose members include religious leaders, advocates, and Kelly Thomas' father, was created in September, two months after the incident that led to Thomas' death. Two officers have been criminally charged in the case.

The group is recommending that the city work with the county to create a regional year-round homeless shelter and a permanent supportive housing development for the mentally ill; request a clinician from the county's behavioral health services department to work with the Fullerton Police Department on outreach to the mentally ill homeless; and ask the county to implement Laura's Law, which would create court-ordered outpatient treatment for the severely mentally ill.

Mental health advocates have expressed hopes that the Thomas case will lead to some systemic changes in police training and homeless services.

Fullerton's mayor, Sharon Quirk-Silva, echoed their sentiments in an interview last week.

“There’s no bright side to a tragedy, but if you could say any outcome has come out of it, it certainly is the awareness of mental health issues and homeless issues,” she said.

In addition to creating the task force, the city commissioned a review of the Thomas case and the Police Department's overall policies and practices and put all police officers through training on use of force and dealing with mentally ill subjects.

Thomas' death has resulted in political upheaval in the north Orange County city -- the former police chief stepped down in the wake of the violent confrontation and three council members are now facing a recall election.

Councilman Bruce Whitaker, who has been highly critical of the Police Department's handling of the Thomas case and other incidents, said that while there have been changes at the department he still believes there is a lack of accountability in the department and that council members had been kept in the dark about facts in the case.

Whitaker had pushed for the release of a surveillance video that captured the incident, which was only shown in public for the first time last week during a preliminary hearing for the two officers accused of criminal charges.

“My original instinct was that the video should have been made public very early, and I think if it had, we would be much farther along on accountability and corrective actions,” he said.

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-- Abby Sewell

Photo: Ron Thomas, Kelly Thomas' father, speaks after a preliminary hearing for two Fullerton police officers charged in the death of his son. Credit: Getty Images

Ex-Modesto teacher goes to court on sex-with-minor charge

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:46:15 -0700

The former Modesto high school teacher charged with sex abuse of a minor was back in court Tuesday, accompanied by the former student he is now living with.

James Hooker, 41, arrived at the Modesto courthouse with his 18-year-old girlfriend Jordan Powers. Hooker had made national headlines when he left his family and moved in with Powers. He has not been charged in connection to his relationship with Powers. But on April 6, Hooker was arrested on one count of oral copulation with a minor; the crime allegedly took place in 1998 when he was a teacher at Davis High School in Modesto.

In court on Tuesday, Hooker moved to switch from a public defender to a private attorney. Mary Lynn Belsher will now represent Hooker.

Belsher asked for an extension of the proceedings because she was not familiar with all the details, with the next court date for Hooker being June 5. Hooker also moved to waive his rights for a preliminary hearing.

He left the courthouse with Powers, who reportedly moved back in with Hooker on April 17.

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Serial carjacker-robber wanted in 19 crimes across L.A. County

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:23:05 -0700

A carjacking and robbery suspect nicknamed the "opportunistic bandit" is believed responsible for a dozen crimes in Los Angeles and at least seven similar incidents in communities including Santa Monica and Pasadena.

The latest carjacking unfolded about 8:45 p.m. Sunday in the 1700 block of N. Highland Avenue in Hollywood when he hit a woman buying gas and stole her purse and car, police said.

While inside the gas station store, the suspect walked up to the woman and attempted a casual conversation. After she left the store and got into her car, he suddenly approached and jumped into the car through the passenger door.

Detectives say he then hit the woman "a number of times and forced her out of her car." He sped away in the car.

Police say the carjacker recently assaulted a 76-year-old woman while taking her car and purse.

LAPD Robbery-Homicide detectives said the suspect also enters occupied and unoccupied cars in business parking lots and steals purses. But he also has forcibly grabbed purses or money bags from unsuspecting victims, investigators said.

He is currently wanted for street robberies, burglary, theft from motor vehicles and vandalism.

Detectives believe the same man is responsible for seven other crimes in Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.

Here are the locations of the Los Angeles crimes, according to police:

--Thursday, April 26, 10:45 a.m., a street robbery in the 16600 block of Ventura Boulevard.

--Thursday, April 26, 10:15 a.m., a carjacking in the 5200 block of Lankershim Boulevard.

--Wednesday, April 25, 10:20 a.m., a burglary in the 5100 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard.

--Wednesday, April 25, 9:55 a.m., a vandalism in the 12200 block of Ventura Boulevard.

--Monday, April 23, 9:25 a.m., a burglary from a vehicle in the 3000 block of Westwood Boulevard.

--Monday, April 23, 9:15 a.m., a street robbery in the 2900 block of Sepulveda Boulevard.

--Monday, April 23, 7:30 a.m., a theft in the 5200 block of Century Boulevard.

--Monday, April 23, 4:45 a.m., a vandalism in 3200 block of Cahuenga Boulevard.

--Friday, April 20, 8:50 p.m., a theft from a vehicle in the 2400 block of Lincoln Boulevard.

--Friday, April 20, 1:30 p.m., a carjacking in the 7800 block of Sunset Boulevard.

--Sunday, April 15, 8:50 p.m., a carjacking in the 1700 block of Highland Avenue.

--Saturday, April 14, 11:30 p.m., a street robbery in the 14000 of Ventura Boulevard.

Detectives say witnesses described the suspect as a black man with brown eyes, 5-feet-9 to 6-feet-4, 180 to 250 pounds and 25 to 35 years old with a bald head.

Anyone with information is asked to call Dets. Steve Koman or Tom Thornton (213) 486-6840 or (877) 527-3247. Anonymous calls may be made to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (800-222-8477).

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Drunk driving suspect found with AK-47 in car

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:08:56 -0700

A drunk driver with an AK-47 in his car was arrested after a short pursuit over the weekend, police said.

Officers spotted the driver at Glen Avenue and Howard Street in Altadena on Saturday, said Sgt. Debra Herman of the Crescenta Valley sheriff’s station.

They attempted to pull him over, but he refused. After a three-minute pursuit, he stopped the car, Herman said.

Police arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence and his passenger for possessing a firearm. Neither had a permit for the weapon, Herman said.

The men were taken to jail at the Crescenta Valley sheriff’s station.

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Missing FBI agent seemed dazed, staggered, neighbor says

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:55 -0700

An FBI agent missing since last Friday seemed dazed and out of it late last week, a neighbor reported.

Stephen Ivens, 35, left on foot from his home in the 1700 block of Scott Road in Burbank on Friday morning and was reported missing by his family a short time later.

Sharon Goewert, a resident who lives a few blocks away from Ivens’ home, said she bumped into him Thursday night. She had only met the agent once earlier this year during her daily walk through the neighborhood.

She described him as seeming dazed and staggering on the sidewalk. She said she reported what she saw to the FBI.

A 40-member search-and-rescue team from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department joined about a dozen Burbank police officers and 100 FBI agents in the search for him Saturday; but despite the massive response and dozens of tips from the public, Ivens wasn't found.

For most of Monday, air crews patrolled the skies above the Verdugo Mountains, where bloodhounds had initially tracked Ivens’ scent.

There is an “obvious sense of urgency to find him because of the missing weapon and scenarios associated with that that could pose a threat to public safety,” said Laura Eimiller of the FBI’s Los Angeles office.

Authorities have not said why Ivens was despondent and continued to urge anyone who sees him to call authorities rather than approach him.

Ivens’ scent in the Verdugo Mountains could have been from an earlier hike, Eimiller said, adding that the search was wide open.

“I’m not going to get into the entire investigation, but we don’t want to rule out that he may have gone in another direction,” she said.

Ivens is not under any type of disciplinary action by the FBI and by all accounts is a reliable agent, Eimiller said.

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UCLA students targeted in string of Westwood robberies

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:50:11 -0700

UCLA students have been targeted in a recent string of late-night street robberies in Westwood’s North Village, police said.

Authorities believe the same pair of robbers are responsible for the holdups, which have occurred between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. in dimly lit areas of Veteran, Midvale and Levering avenues.

“They have been taking phones for the most part,” said Los Angeles police Det. Stan Evans, but have also stolen laptops and purses.

A total of five robberies, all off campus, are under investigation. The robbers were sometimes armed and in two instances struck the students, who were not injured, Evans said.

The most recent occurred after midnight Friday when two students were held up within a couple of hours in separate incidents.

The suspects are described as black men in their 20s or early 30s, 5-feet-10 to 6-feet-2 and 160 to 200 pounds. They drive a dark car.

Evans, noting the victims have usually been alone, said students should walk with a friend or use the campus escort system late at night.

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Woman, 32, says 16-year-old fathered her child; she faces charges

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:08:18 -0700

A Santa Ana woman accused of having unlawful sexual intercourse with her daughter's teenage boyfriend appeared in court Monday but did not enter a plea.

Investigators suspect that Mayra Gonzalez, 32, also gave birth to the teen's baby, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department. The Orange County district attorney's office has accused Gonzalez of having sex with the boy on six occasions between July 1, 2011, and Dec. 24, 2011, the Orange County district attorney's office said.

Authorities said she faces eight years in prison if convicted.

Neighbors at Gonzalez's apartment complex alerted the boy's parents about the relationship, police said.

Gonzalez told police when she was arrested that she was in love with the 16-year-old boy.

"She was aware of the fact that he was a minor," Bertagna said.

Gonzalez is charged with six felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor under 16 and two felony counts of oral copulation with a minor under 18.

If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of seven years and eight months in state prison and possible lifetime sex-offender registration. She was being held on $20,000 bail.

According to CBS2, she is likely to enter a plea at a future court hearing, and she says the teen is the father of a child she gave birth to in March.

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-- Robert Lopez and KTLA News

Photo: Mayra Gonzalez. Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

Ex-cop on Zoloft, mentally ‘unconscious’ during rape, lawyer says

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:59:02 -0700

Attorneys for a former Westminster police detective will try to persuade a jury that he was under the influence of the antidepressant Zoloft and not responsible for the kidnapping and rape of a woman in 2010.

Det. Anthony Nicholas Orban was so overwhelmed by the prescription drug that he was mentally "unconscious" and "totally unaware of his actions," attorney James Blatt said outside a Rancho Cucamonga courtroom where his client's trial began Monday.

"But for the use of Zoloft, Mr. Orban would not have committed these acts," Blatt said. "Here you have a police officer and former Marine who for the last 10 years has been dedicated to protecting his country and protecting his community … this was totally out of character."

Orban's push for acquittal will have to overcome juror skepticism that has accompanied such defenses, as well as gripping testimony by the victim during her four hours on the stand Monday.

The detective is accused of abducting the then-25-year-old waitress, identified only as Jane Doe, on a Saturday evening as she walked to her car after leaving work at Ontario Mills mall. San Bernardino County Deputy Dist. Atty. Debbie Ploghaus told the jury that Orban, with his police service weapon drawn, forced the victim to drive her car up Interstate 15 to a self-storage facility in Fontana.

"I said, "Can I go now?,' " the victim said, recounting what happened when she parked. "He said there is something you need to do first. I think you know what it is."

For the next hour, she said, Orban sexually brutalized her in her SUV. At one point, the victim said, Orban snapped pictures with his iPhone, telling her to "smile for the camera," then sending the photos to a friend. He put a round in the chamber of his gun, then dragged the barrel down her cheek before sticking it in her mouth, punching her in the face and pulling her hair, she said. All the while, cars and pedestrians passed within feet of them, a security video from the storage lot showed.

When Orban took a call, she bolted from the car to a nearby liquor store, where the owner called police.

"I've had two years to think about this every day," she said at the end of the day's testimony.

Ontario police investigators found Orban's police pistol, with his name on it, inside the victim's car.

Monday's trial began when Orban's attorney told the court he intended to present a "not guilty by reason of unconsciousness" defense, a change in strategy that appeared to take the prosecution and judge by surprise. Blatt had been expected to present a "not guilty by reason of insanity" defense, which would require a separate hearing to determine Orban's mental capacity if the jury found him guilty.

The difference is significant. If found guilty but declared insane, Orban would have ben placed in a state hospital. If found not guilty by reason of unconsciousness, he would walk out a free man.

San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Shahla S. Sabet barred Orban's attorney from introducing the unconsciousness defense until a special hearing can be held, possibly later this week. If that strategy is unsuccessful, Orban can still use the insanity defense.

Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Leonard Levine said attempts to prove temporary insanity, or temporary mental defect, are rarely successful.

"What you're really asking the jury to do is let you go free," said Levine, who has no ties to the case. "That's why, most of the time, juries are skeptical."

In 2004, a Santa Cruz man who beat a friend over the sale of a bike was acquitted of an attempted murder charge after his attorney argued that he had had an adverse reaction to Zoloft. A year later, a jury rejected a similar Zoloft defense in the case of a 15-year-old South Carolina boy who shot his grandparents.

Chris Loder, a spokesman for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which makes Zoloft, said in a statement that the antidepressant has been studied for two decades and that there was an "extensive body of science on its safety and its use."

A glimpse of the defense strategy became apparent during Monday's testimony when the victim told the jury that, toward the end of the attack, Orban started anxiously scanning the area outside the car.

"Then he looked at me and said: 'Who are you? How did I get here? Whose car is this?' " the woman testified. "He told me to put my clothes back on."

But a few minutes later, he sexually assaulted her again, she said.

The defense's strategy will be tested by a prosecution witnesses, Jeff Thomas Jelinek, who was a corrections officer at the California Institution for Men in Chino and a close friend of Orban. Jelinek had been drinking with Orban at the mall and was standing next to Orban when he abducted the woman at gunpoint, according to investigators and the prosecution.

Jelinek said he picked Orban up at the scene of the sexual assault and drove him back to Ontario Mills. Jelinek in 2011 pleaded guilty to being an accessory and agreed to testify against his friend.

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Oikos University nursing program at risk of losing state license

Book claims Zodiac Killer is 91-year-old Northern California man

-- Phil Willon in Rancho Cucamonga

Photo: Anthony Nicholas Orban. Credit: Ontario Police Department

'Hacktivist' suspect published data on L.A. cops, FBI claims

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:43:01 -0700

An Ohio man charged by federal officials with a series of "hacktivist" computer intrusions is also suspected of illegally accessing private information on more than 100 officers with the Los Angeles County Police Canine Assn., federal officials in Los Angeles said Tuesday.

John Anthony Borell III faces two counts of computer intrusion in Utah after FBI agents launched a probe into hacks that allegedly caused thousands of dollars of damage to computers and servers used by Utah law enforcement agencies.

In the course of that investigation, FBI officials found Borell was involved in a computer attack on a local police website and published private information, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.

Borrell is awaiting trial in the Utah case. If convicted on both counts, the 21-year-old faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a fine of $250,000 per count.

One count accuses Borell of hacking into a server hosting a website for the Utah Chiefs of Police Assn. Jan. 19. In another, 12 days later, he is accused of intruding into the server hosting the website of the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Authorities were alerted to Borell's alleged activities after he reportedly boasted and revealed details about the breaches on his Twitter account, according to the criminal complaint filed in Utah federal court.

FBI agents then linked the IP addresses used in those intrusions to Borell, who officials said has links to a group associated with Anonymous, an international but loosely knit collective of computer hackers.

During the investigation, the same IP addresses were linked to the same suspect who illegally accessed and then posted the names, addresses and phone numbers of more than 100 officers with the Los Angeles County Police Canine Assn.

The information was accessed from a password-protected area of the site not available to the general public. The illegally obtained information then was posted on a site that allows users to anonymously input data.

This type of site has increasingly been used to post personal information of individuals who raise the ire of online activists. The practice is known as "doxing."

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Oikos University nursing program at risk of losing state license

LAFD emergency response times: Expert to address Fire Commission

— Andrew Blankstein (Twitter.com/anblanx)

Sanity phase next for ex-deputy who tortured wife and her lover

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:42:06 -0700

The sanity phase in the trial of a former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy convicted of torturing and sexually assaulting his wife and her lover in a brutal 2008 attack is expected to begin Tuesday

A jury on Monday convicted Robert McClain, 38, of eight felonies, including aggravated mayhem, torture, spousal rape and sodomy by means of force.

Orange County prosecutors said the Irvine resident forced his then-31-year-old wife and her 23-year-old lover into the break room of the leasing office where she worked and made them undress at knifepoint, repeatedly punching and kicking both victims.

The man was beaten so badly that he has no recollection of the incident and initially thought he'd been in a car accident when he woke up in the hospital, the prosecution said.

Prosecutors said the male victim had suffered several knife wounds the groin area and that McClain had urinated on both victims and sodomized the man with a knife.

McClain also sexually mutilated his wife with a knife and chopped off her hair, prosecutors said.

During the trial, McClain's public defender Darren Thompson told jurors that his family-oriented client was driven to madness after discovering his wife's infidelity, and that McClain initially acted in self-defense.

McClain had pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity.

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-- Lauren Williams, Times Community News

Photo: Robert McClain. Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

Jurors to weigh death penalty for Jamiel Shaw II's killer

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:34:16 -0700

Jurors who found a gang member guilty of killing Los Angeles High School football star Jamiel Shaw II are to return to court Tuesday to determine if Pedro Espinoza should be put to death.

Espinoza, now 23, was accused of gunning down Shaw in March 2008 because he was wearing a red Spider-Man backpack. Jurors deliberated for barely half a day last Wednesday before returning a guilty verdict.

They found to be true allegations that Espinoza committed the crime in association with a gang and that he personally discharged a firearm, circumstances that made the death penalty an option.

Prosecutors had argued that Espinoza shot the 17-year-old in the belief that he was a Bloods gang member because he was a black man wearing a red backpack. Shaw was shot near his Arlington Heights home as he walked back from a friend's house after a day of shopping at the mall.

Espinoza, who had been released from custody just 28 hours earlier, asked Shaw, “Where are you from?” before shooting into his abdomen, then again into his head in an execution-like manner, prosecutors contended.

Driving away from the scene, he boasted to a fellow 18th Street gang member, “I'm a killer,” according to testimony.

Shaw's slaying touched off an outcry over the Los Angeles Police Department's practices regarding arrestees who are illegal immigrants, because Espinoza was in the U.S. illegally.

After the verdict, Shaw's family said they wanted Espinoza to be executed.

“We want the death penalty bad. We want to set a precedent,” said the victim's father, Jamiel Shaw Sr.

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-- Victoria Kim and Kim Christensen

Photo: Pedro Espinoza, left, reacts after a jury found him guilty May 9 of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of high-school football player Jamiel Shaw II. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times.

Ex-cop on Zoloft, mentally ‘unconscious’ during rape, lawyer says

Oikos University nursing program at risk of losing state license

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:19:38 -0700

A month after a gunman opened fire at Oikos University and left seven dead in one of California's worst mass killings, the Oakland vocational school’s nursing program lost full approval from state regulators.

The Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians on Friday placed the school’s program on provisional approval -- a form of probation.

Officials cited chronically low pass rates on licensing exams, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, among other shortcomings. Compared to the state’s average passing rate of 75% last year, the rate of Oikos graduates was 41% in 2011 and 58% in 2010. Schools should earn passing rates within 10 percentage points of the state average.

The school is looking to regain full approval with three of four students passing exams in late 2011, Oikos nursing program director Ellen Cervellon told the Chronicle.

At risk of losing its state license, the nursing program must improve on these deficiencies within the next two years.

On April 2, the school lost six nursing students and one secretary after One L. Goh, 43, allegedly opened fire in a classroom. He was arrested a few miles away about two hours after the shooting.

Goh pleaded not guilty April 30 to seven counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder.

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L.A. City Council to vote on banning tents in parks

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-- Rosanna Xia

Photo: A police investigator at the crime scene after the April 2 shooting at Oikos University in Oakland. Credit: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press

L.A. City Council to vote on banning tents in parks

Tue, 15 May 2012 07:32:21 -0700

The Los Angeles City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to ban tents, sleeping bags, bedrolls and hammocks in scores of city parks, a move timed to the reopening of the City Hall lawn where Occupy L.A. protesters camped out last year.

As crews prepare to take down the fence that has surrounded the lawn for the last six months while it was rehabilitated, some homeless advocates worry the ban could have broader implications beyond keeping protesters from returning.

Others say the ordinance is redundant because overnight camping is already banned in city parks.

“It's such a waste of legislative time,” said Becky Dennison of the Los Angeles Community Action Network.

Officials in the city attorney's office said what's new about the ordinance is that it clarifies what constitutes camping and includes an explicit ban on tents. According to the ordinance, tents in parks pose health and safety issues, “cause visual clutter and blight” and can ruin the experience for other park visitors.

Father Richard Estrada, who works closely with the homeless at his Roman Catholic parish near Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, said he doesn't think people should camp in parks.

But the fact is, he said, they do.

If city officials enforce the new provisions of the ordinance, “this will hit real hard on this community," Estrada said.

“You're going to shove someone out, arrest them. But what does that do?” he said.

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A month after shooting, Oikos University nursing program at risk of losing state license

-- Kate Linthicum

Photo: A fence surrounds the park at City Hall last month as work continued on the lawn, post-Occupy L.A. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Time

Ex-detective accused of rape to blame attack on antidepressant

Tue, 15 May 2012 05:29:00 -0700

Attorneys for a former Westminster police detective will try to persuade a jury that he was under the influence of the antidepressant Zoloft and not responsible for the kidnap and rape of a woman in 2010.

Det. Anthony Nicholas Orban was so overwhelmed by the prescription drug that he was mentally "unconscious" and "totally unaware of his actions," attorney James Blatt said outside a Rancho Cucamonga courtroom where his client's trial began Monday.

"But for the use of Zoloft, Mr. Orban would not have committed these acts," Blatt said. "Here you have a police officer and former Marine who for the last 10 years has been dedicated to protecting his country and protecting his community … this was totally out of character."

Orban's push for acquittal will have to overcome juror skepticism that has accompanied such defenses, as well as gripping testimony by the victim during her four hours on the stand Monday.

The detective is accused of abducting the then-25-year-old waitress, identified only as "Jane Doe," on a Saturday evening as she walked to her car after leaving work at Ontario Mills mall. San Bernardino County Deputy Dist. Atty. Debbie Ploghaus told the jury that Orban, with his police service weapon drawn, forced the victim to drive her car up Interstate 15 to a self-storage lot in Fontana.

"I said, "Can I go now?," the victim said, recounting what happened when she parked. "He said there is something you need to do first. I think you know what it is."

For the next hour, she said, Orban sexually brutalized her in her SUV. At one point, the victim said, Orban snapped pictures with his iPhone, telling her to "smile for the camera," then sending the photos to a friend. He put a round in the chamber of his gun, then dragged the barrel down her cheek before sticking it in her mouth, punching her in the face and pulling her hair, she said. All the while, cars and pedestrians passed within feet of them, a security video from the storage lot showed.

When Orban took a call, she bolted from the car to a nearby liquor store, where the owner called police.

"I've had two years to think about this every day," she said at the end of the day's testimony.

Ontario police investigators found Orban's police service weapon, with his name on it, inside the victim's car.

Monday's trial began when Orban's attorney told the court he intended to present a "not guilty by reason of unconsciousness" defense, a change in strategy that appeared to take the prosecution and judge by surprise. Blatt had been expected to present a "not guilty by reason of insanity" defense, which would require a separate hearing to determine Orban's mental capacity if the jury found him guilty.

The difference is significant. If declared insane, Orban would be placed in a state hospital. If found not guilty by reason of unconsciousness, he would walk out a free man.

San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Shahla S. Sabet barred Orban's attorney from introducing the unconsciousness defense until a special hearing can be held, possibly later this week. If that strategy is unsuccessful, Orban can still use the insanity defense.

Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Leonard Levine said attempts to prove temporary insanity, or temporary mental defect, are rarely successful.

"What you're really asking the jury to do is let you go free," said Levine, who has no ties to the case. "That's why, most of the time, juries are skeptical."

In 2004, a Santa Cruz man who beat a friend over the sale of a bike was acquitted of an attempted murder charge after his attorney argued that he had had an adverse reaction to Zoloft. A year later, a jury rejected a similar Zoloft defense in the case of a 15-year-old South Carolina boy who shot his grandparents.

Chris Loder, a spokesman for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which makes Zoloft, said in a statement that the antidepressant has been studied for two decades and that there was an "extensive body of science on its safety and its use."

A glimpse of the defense strategy became apparent during Monday's testimony when the victim told the jury that, toward the end of the attack, Orban started anxiously scanning the area outside the car.

"Then he looked at me and said: "Who are you? How did I get here? Whose car is this?" the woman testified. "He told me to put my clothes back on."

But a few minutes later, he sexually assaulted her again, she said.

That defense will be tested by one of the prosecution's witnesses, Jeff Thomas Jelinek, who was a corrections officer at the California Institution for Men in Chino and a close friend of Orban. Jelinek was standing next to Orban when he abducted the woman at gunpoint, and shortly before had been drinking with Orban at the mall, according to investigators and the prosecution.

Jelinek picked Orban up at the scene of the sexual assault and drove him back to Ontario Mills. Jelinek in 2011 pleaded guilty to being an accessory and agreed to testify against his friend.

phil.willon@latimes.com

'Sense of urgency' in search for missing FBI agent

Tue, 15 May 2012 05:12:00 -0700

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies sesarched the Verdugo Mountains on Monday in what officials called an "urgent" effort to find a missing FBI agent.

Stephen Ivens,35, was last seen last week. He left on foot from his home in the 1700 block of Scott Road in Burbank on Friday morning and was reported missing by his family a short time later.

An avid hiker who is married and the father of a young child, Ivens was believed to be carrying his handgun, although he is not considered to be a threat to anyone but himself, according to authorities. Authorities have not said why Ivens was despondent and continued to urge anyone who sees him to call authorities rather than approach him.

“I’m not going to get into the entire investigation, but we don’t want to rule out that he may have gone in another direction,” she said.

When asked if Ivens’ had his wallet and cellphone, Eimiller said that only his service weapon appears to be missing.

Ivens is not under any type of disciplinary action by the FBI and by all accounts is a reliable agent, Eimiller said.

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California budget cuts: 'All courts are going to feel the pain'

Playoffs, Dodgers and bike race set stage for weekend gridlock

-- Maria Hsin, Times Community News

Photo: Air crews search over the Verdugo Mountains in Glendale on May 14 for Stephen Ivens. Credit: Tim Berger / TCN

Book claims Zodiac Killer is 91-year-old Northern California man

Tue, 15 May 2012 05:01:00 -0700

There has been no shortage of theories about the identity of Zodiac killer, who struck Northern California four decades ago.

And interest has continued even as police quietly closed the books on the killings year ago.

Now, there is a new scenario making the rounds.

"The Zodiac Killer Cover Up" is a new book written by a former California Highway Patrol officer, Lyndon Lafferty.

"Look, I know what most people think of Zodiac theories, and there have been so many over the years that if a person walked into the Vallejo Police Department right now and said he was the Zodiac, they'd tell him to get out," Lafferty told the San Francisco Chronicle in an interview last year. "But I do feel that we have a very credible case."

Lafferty claims the killer was motivated by jealousy because his wife was having an affair.

The Zodiac killer is blamed for at least five slayings in 1968 and 1969. There was never an arrest in the case.

The San Francisco police formally closed the case in 2004.

The Zodiac killer got his name by taunting newspapers and the police with letters and puzzles.

"The police shall never catch me, because I have been too clever for them," he wrote in a letter sent to the San Francisco Chronicle.

"I enjoy needling the blue pigs," he wrote. Detectives thought they might have had a break two years ago, when a partial DNA profile was taken from envelopes containing the letters.

The genetic evidence seemed to clear the only suspect ever named by police -- Arthur Leigh Allen of Vallejo. Allen, who was never charged, died of a heart attack in 1992.

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Dog saves Monrovia teen from rattlesnake

Oikos University nursing program at risk of losing state license

Ex-cop on Zoloft, mentally ‘unconscious’ during rape, lawyer says

-- Shelby Grad

Image: SFPD wanted poster for Zodiac killer. Credit: Associated Press

Crime alerts for Sun Valley, Cheviot Hills and seven other L.A. neighborhoods

Tue, 15 May 2012 03:52:50 -0700

Crime reports are up significantly in nine L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of the latest week of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Seven neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Sun Valley (A) was the most unusual, recording nine reports compared with a weekly average of 3.8 over the last three months.

Cheviot Hills (H) topped the list of two neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded seven property crimes compared with its weekly average of 3.4 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for May 6–May 12, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Violent crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Sun Valley	3.8	9
Lake Balboa	0.9	3
Venice	3.1	5
Westwood	1.1	3
Westlake	17.2	24
Harvard Heights	2.5	6
Broadway-Manchester	7.2	12

Property crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Cheviot Hills	3.4	7
Vermont Knolls	13.2	20

What triggers a crime alert? Learn about the process in the FAQ for our crime database.

Two people shot in Inglewood, drive to fire station for help

Mon, 14 May 2012 22:33:51 -0700

Inglewood police Monday night were seeking leads in a shooting that left two victims wounded.

The shooting was reported Monday night near 108th Street and Van Ness Avenue.

The two victims drove themselves to a nearby fire station, where they were treated and taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Sgt. Mike Bolliger told The Times.

No additional details were immediately available. Anyone with information is asked to call (310) 412-5240

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— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Jail deputies acted like gang members, ex-sheriff's officials say

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:46:57 -0700

Two retired Los Angeles County sheriff's supervisors Monday painted a violent picture of life inside Men's Central Jail, recounting for a county jails commission tales of deputies beating prisoners, ignoring bosses, forming cliques and engaging in off-duty misconduct.

The former sergeant and lieutenant, who both retired in 2007, said they felt their efforts to discipline wayward deputies were undermined by a top manager they accused of ordering supervisors to “coddle” young deputies in the jail.

Daniel Pollaro, the former sergeant, complained that deputies used inappropriate force against inmates as a form of discipline. He cited one example in which he learned that a deputy beat an inmate being moved to a cell on the floor where Pollaro worked. The deputy, he said, left the bloodied inmate without reporting the incident or seeking medical attention for him. The inmate’s injuries were discovered during a later shift, and the deputy was suspended, Pollaro said.

FULL COVERAGE: Times investigation into L.A. County jails

Some deputies, he said, routinely arrived late for work and ignored orders from direct supervisors, preferring instead to listen to rank-and-file deputies who had worked at the jails for several years and earned the informal title of “OG,” short for “Original Gangster.”

Alfred Gonzales, a retired lieutenant, echoed Pollaro’s testimony about insubordination and excessive force, telling commissioners that one hard-core gang member broke down during an interview about how a deputy had broken his jaw while he was handcuffed. “I didn’t deserve this,” Gonzales said the gang member told him.

He said he grew alarmed by the off-duty behavior of some deputies, including several arrested for assault and drunk driving, and by how large numbers of deputies assigned to the same floor made it a habit to arrive and leave work together and would not mix with colleagues from other floors.

Gonzales recalled being so concerned that he compared the cliques to gangs in one conversation with a young deputy.

“I said, ‘You guys, this is reminiscent of a gang….This is how gang members act,’” he told the commission.

The commission, which is investigating allegations of jail violence, was created by the Board of Supervisors soon after news broke last year that the FBI was investigating allegations of inmate abuse and other jail misconduct.

Gonzales began his testimony by explaining he had agreed to speak “not to malign or bring discredit upon the Sheriff’s Department” but to show what was occurring at the nation’s largest local detention facility from 2003 to 2007, when he was assigned to the jail.

He and Pollaro said they believed Undersheriff Paul Tanaka undermined jail manager’s efforts to prevent the deputy cliques and deal with insubordination.

They cited a 2006 proposal to regularly move deputies around the jail as an effort to break up the cliques. Tanaka, then an assistant sheriff, blocked the move after complaints from deputies. The commission made public an email forwarded by several deputies in which they complained that the change “would anger and force many to leave.”

Gonzales and Pollaro said Tanaka later met with all of the jail’s supervisors and told them they were too strict with deputies and had to “coddle” them.

“How are we going to supervise deputy personnel that know that they can email the assistant sheriff and at their whim he’s going to come over to the jail and tell them, ‘Don’t listen, you do what you want,’” Pollaro said.

Gonzales told the commission: “The chain of command was totally broken….These were good men. They just needed strong leadership.”

The captain who proposed the job rotation, however, has said under oath that the change was not meant to address deputy cliques or groups, which he didn't believe existed. Tanaka has said that he opposed the change because it would have disrupted hundreds of deputies for the sake of a few problematic ones, a move that would have faced serious opposition from the deputies union.

Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said deputies contacting Tanaka by email would not be a violation of department rules. Sheriff Lee Baca, he said, has an open-door policy that allows any employee to contact the sheriff or his top executives directly without reprisal.

Whitmore said Baca and Tanaka plan to wait until the commission releases its final report, expected later this year, before commenting on any specific testimony.

Among others who testified Monday was retired Cmdr. Bob Olmsted, who said he twice tried to tell Baca about excessive force and deputy cliques in the jail but was ignored.

Amid the jails’ misconduct scandal, Baca last year set up a task force to look at ways to reform his jails. But Olmsted noted that the sheriff has not taken public action against some of his top executives who oversaw the jails’ problems.

“When do you start rolling some heads from the top?” he asked.

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Photo: Men's Central Jail. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Parolee convicted in sex assault of girl he met on MySpace

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:32:25 -0700

A parolee was convicted Monday of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old Santa Ana girl he met on MySpace.

Matthew Castaneda, 35, was charged with meeting the girl on MySpace in November 2009 and attacking her at an Anaheim motel, the Orange County district attorney's office said.

Castaneda, an Anaheim resident, was a professional wrestler who went by the name of Chippy Sanchez, according to a report in the L.A. Weekly.

In February 2010, Castaneda met the girl near South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and took a bus with her to Anaheim, according to prosecutors. After walking in various parks, he was charged with taking the victim to Zaby's Motor Lounge near Disneyland and attacking her.

The girl left the motel and asked to be taken home by a traffic controller with the Anaheim Police Department. She had been reported missing in Santa Ana.

Castaneda was on parole for a 2007 felony domestic violence conviction and restraining order violation, the district attorney's office said in a statement. In the latest case, he was convicted of one felony count of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one felony count of lewd acts on a child under 14. A jury was unable to reach a verdict on two other felony counts.

Castaneda faces a maximum sentence of 24 years to life in state prison and mandatory sex offender registration. He is scheduled for a hearing June 22 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

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Friends mourn slain Idaho football player

Playoffs, Dodgers and bike race set stage for weekend gridlock

Brown's $91-billion budget a huge blow to courts, social services

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Officials search L.A. mountains for missing FBI agent

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:23:48 -0700

An urgent search for an FBI agent who went missing last week stretched into its fourth day Monday, with authorities reporting little progress.

The missing agent, Stephen Ivens,35, left on foot from his home in the 1700 block of Scott Road in Burbank on Friday morning and was reported missing by his family a short time later.

A 40-member search-and-rescue team from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department joined about a dozen Burbank police officers and 100 FBI agents in the search for him Saturday; but despite the massive response and dozens of tips from the public, Ivens wasn't found.

For most of Monday, air crews patrolled the skies above the Verdugo Mountains, where bloodhounds had initially tracked Ivens’ scent.

An avid hiker who is married and the father of a young child, Ivens was believed to be carrying his handgun, although he is not considered to be a threat to anyone but himself, according to authorities.

There is an “obvious sense of urgency to find him because of the missing weapon and scenarios associated with that that could pose a threat to public safety,” Laura Eimiller of the FBI’s Los Angeles office said.

Authorities have not said why Ivens was despondent and continued to urge anyone who sees him to call authorities rather than approach him.

Ivens’ scent in the Verdugo Mountains could have been from an earlier hike, Eimiller said, adding that the search was wide open.

“I’m not going to get into the entire investigation, but we don’t want to rule out that he may have gone in another direction,” she said.

When asked if Ivens’ had his wallet and cellphone, Eimiller said that only his service weapon appears to be missing.

Ivens is not under any type of disciplinary action by the FBI and by all accounts is a reliable agent, Eimiller said.

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California budget cuts: 'All courts are going to feel the pain'

Playoffs, Dodgers and bike race set stage for weekend gridlock

-- Maria Hsin, Times Community News

Photo: Air crews search over the Verdugo Mountains in Glendale on May 14 for Stephen Ivens. Credit: Tim Berger / TCN

Ex-L.A. County sheriff's deputy convicted of mayhem, torture, rape

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:06:38 -0700

A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy accused of torturing and sexually assaulting his wife and her lover — leaving both badly mutilated — was convicted Monday in the 2008 crime.

Robert McClain, 38, of Irvine forced his then 31-year-old wife and her 23-year-old lover into the break room of the leasing office where she worked and made them undress at knife point, repeatedly punching and kicking both victims, Orange County prosecutors said.

McClain’s public defender Darren Thompson told jurors that his family-oriented client was driven to madness after discovering his wife’s infidelity, and that McClain initially acted in self-defense.

McClain had pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to the eight felony charges he faced.

Prosecutor John Cristl said McClain was an overbearing and controlling husband before the incident and said the floor of the break room was blood-soaked after hours of torturing his wife’s boyfriend.

The man was beaten so badly that he has no recollection of the incident and initially thought he'd been in a car accident when he woke up in the hospital, the prosecution said.

On the first day of testimony, McClain’s former wife tearfully described her husband as a possessive person who would question her every interaction with men.

“I would always learn to walk with my head down,” she said. “I would look toward the ground. Just make sure I wasn't looking in the direction of another male.”

In mapping out their case before the trial, prosecutors said the male victim had suffered several knife wounds the groin area and that McClain had urinated on both victims and sodomized the man with a knife.

After slashing the man's face with the knife, prosecutors said, McClain fled the scene, forcing his wife to go with him.

The next morning, she was able to escape the house with the couple's four children and drive to a nearby hospital for help, authorities said. A cleaning crew discovered the other victim in the leasing office and called 911.

McClain was convicted of eight felonies, including aggravated mayhem, torture, spousal rape and sodomy by means of force.

A sanity phase will begin Tuesday.

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California budget cuts: 'All courts are going to feel the pain'

Accident that killed four in yacht race to be probed by U.S. Sailing

-- Lauren Williams, TCN

Photo: Robert A. McClain

Zodiac killer still alive and living in California, new book alleges

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:59:42 -0700

A new book claims that the infamous Zodiac killer is still alive and living in Northern California.

"The Zodiac Killer Cover Up" was written by a former California Highway Patrol officer, Lyndon Lafferty, and adds another theory to the much-discussed serial killer case in Northern California.

The Zodiac killer is blamed for at least five slayings in 1968 and 1969. There was never an arrest in the case.

In "The Zodiac Killer Cover Up," Lafferty claims the killer is now a 91-year-old man living in Solano County. The book uses aliases and does not identify the alleged killer by name. Lafferty claims he and other lawmen investigated the suspect in the early 1970s but were stymied by "power brokers" in Solano County.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the book has stirred new debate among those who have followed the famous killings.

The San Francisco police formally closed the case in 2004.

The Zodiac killer got his name by taunting newspapers and the police with letters and puzzles.

"The police shall never catch me, because I have been too clever for them," he wrote in a letter sent to the San Francisco Chronicle.

"I enjoy needling the blue pigs," he wrote. Detectives thought they might have had a break two years ago, when a partial DNA profile was taken from envelopes containing the letters.

The genetic evidence seemed to clear the only suspect ever named by police -- Arthur Leigh Allen of Vallejo. Allen, who was never charged, died of a heart attack in 1992.

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California budget cuts: 'All courts are going to feel the pain'

Playoffs, Dodgers and bike race set stage for weekend gridlock

-- Shelby Grad

Image: SFPD wanted poster for Zodiac killer. Credit: Associated Press

Slain Idaho football player had just been awarded full scholarship

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:20:16 -0700

The family of a University of Idaho student athlete shot to death early Sunday in Lincoln Heights was preparing a surprise party for him this week to celebrate his full football scholarship for the upcoming year.

Ken McRoyal had not known the party was being planned, said his head coach Robb Akey during a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon.

Akey said he will attend the Southern California services for McRoyal, which will take place next week, along with the team’s captains and numerous players from the area.

McRoyal’s body will then be sent to his native New Orleans for burial, Akey said.

McRoyal was shot to death at a party at the Brewery Lofts in Lincoln Heights early Sunday, only days after returning from Idaho for a visit to Southern California. Police are searching for four men in the attack, all of whom fled after the shooting.

McRoyal was excited to be back in L.A. and tweeted less than an hour before he was shot: "Wasup L.A I'm here show me sum luv!"

McRoyal, 5' 9" and a muscular 185 pounds, had gone to the school as a walk-on last fall at the urging of his cousin, Dominique Blackman, the team's quarterback, Akey said. He spent last season as a backup wide receiver and special teams player.

He had a strong spring practice and earned a starting spot at slot receiver, Akey said.

The coach said he gave McRoyal the news of the scholarship after spring practice ended two weeks ago. He last spoke to McRoyal last week, as school was ending, the day before McRoyal flew to Los Angeles.

“It was obviously a very big deal. He was excited to be able to be put on scholarship," Akey said. "I’m glad I told him how much he meant to me before he left."

Akey said he had spent the last day talking with McRoyal's family and members of the team, who are now scattered around the country.

"All of them are feeling a loss," he said. "A mama has lost her son on Mother’s Day. There’s a little girl who’s not going to have the opportunity to have a daddy."

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California budget cuts: 'All courts are going to feel the pain'

Accident that killed four in yacht race to be probed by U.S. Sailing

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Photo: Ken McRoyal. Credit: University of Idaho

Deputies rescue dog from hot car, find drug stash

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:06:44 -0700

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies checking out reports Sunday of a dog locked in a hot car in West Hollywood discovered bundles of cash and several sealed bags of marijuana.

When deputies responded to the call in the 1200 block of Ogden Drive, they found a German pointer inside.

With interior vehicle temperatures in warm weather known to reach 160 degrees, deputies entered the red 1993 Nissan Pathfinder to rescue the dog. While seeking the dog owner's identity, they opened a bag inside the vehicle and discovered several bundles of marijuana, according to sheriff's officials. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a large amount of cash.

The German pointer was safely removed and placed in the care of Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control personnel. Sheriff's investigators say the dog is in good condition.

Narcotics detectives estimate that the vehicle contained more than $10,000. The marijuana inside the vehicle is estimated to be worth about $24,000 in street value. The vehicle, which has Arizona license plates, was impounded as evidence.

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California budget cuts: 'All courts are going to feel the pain'

Playoffs, Dodgers and bike race set stage for weekend gridlock

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Map shows approximate location of incident in black. Credit: Los Angeles Times / Mapping L.A.

$100-million pot farm destroyed in Topanga State Park raid

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:50:40 -0700

Authorities have uncovered a 34,000-plant marijuana farm in Topanga State Park -- the largest such operation found in the Santa Monica Mountains in seven years.

Law enforcement officials raided the site Friday after park rangers found a plastic-lined earthen dam diverting water from a Topanga Creek tributary to a marijuana cultivation site deep in the park’s backcountry, said Craig Sap, Angeles District Supt. for California State Parks.

Officials destroyed an estimated $100-million worth of marijuana, mostly young plants about 1 to 2 feet tall. The raid was carried out by a team of state park rangers, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and officials with the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority.

No arrests were made, Sap said, though three men were seen fleeing the scene.

Authorities also removed more than 500 pounds of trash and supplies left behind by pot farmers, including propane tanks, decaying batteries, fertilizer and pesticides that are banned in California. They said they also found hunting traps and a dead fox.

The growing operation was divided into 13 plots distributed throughout the steep chaparral, Sap said. It caused extensive damage to the soil, watershed, native plants and animals. It could take years for the environment to recover, he said.

“It takes so much effort to catch these guys,” Sap said. “The goal really is to get rid of the drugs and restore the site.”

More pot-growing sites have been cropping up in the Santa Monica Mountains in the last few years as increased enforcement on the U.S.-Mexico border has made smuggling more risky, Sap said.

In 2009 authorities discovered a marijuana-growing operation 25 feet behind the Los Angeles Police Department's Topanga Station.

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Friends mourn slain Idaho football player

Accident that killed four in yacht race to be probed by U.S. Sailing

Rosendahl urges developer to preserve landmarked Brentwood site

--Tony Barboza

Photo: A marijuana farming operation in 2010. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Rosendahl urges developer to preserve landmarked Brentwood site

Friends mourn slain Idaho football player

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:53:54 -0700

<&&&&&&>

At 12:47 a.m. Sunday, University of Idaho wide receiver Ken McRoyal announced that he was back in L.A. and happy to be visiting home.

"Wasup L.A I'm here show me sum luv!" he tweeted, using his screen name itsme8six.

Forty-five minutes later, McRoyal was shot and dying after an argument with some men at a party at Brewery Lofts in Lincoln Heights. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said. A second man was shot in the arm.

McRoyal, 22, of Carson, had returned to Southern California from Moscow, Idaho, where he had earned a spot on the school’s football team last season.

He had joined the team as a walk-on receiver from El Camino College in Torrance. Days ago, he was notified that he'd been granted a full scholarship for his senior year, the school said.

He'd come home to visit his daughter, according to a post on his Facebook page. "Miss my daughter," he tweeted Friday night. His Twitter bio includes the hashtag #inlovewithmydaughter.

Police are seeking four male suspects who argued with McRoyal, then fled after one fired the shots about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. No arrests have been made, officials said Monday morning.

Students and friends mourned McRoyal’s passing, many turning to social media to express their grief.

Dozens posted messages on his Facebook page. "We all gonna miss u bro," wrote Ashley Taylor.

His cousin, Dominique Blackman, the team’s quarterback, had arrived from Idaho only hours before McRoyal's death, with equally high hopes for fun, according to posts to his Facebook page.

“Cali ima see u Saturday for the first time since 2009 damn y'all better show me LOVE,” he wrote Wednesday. Then Saturday night, he posted, “Cali What’s good I’m home.”

Instead of a good time, Blackman was leading a memorial vigil for his cousin at El Camino College.

The two had grown close since McRoyal’s family had moved to Carson from their native New Orleans, displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They played together at Carson High, with Blackman throwing passes to his cousin.

On Twitter, Blackman credited his cousin with helping him win the school's Football Player of the Year award last season.

"These two cousins had more love for each other than some people will ever be able to understand," wrote Chelsea Jo Gocke, a student at the school, on her Facebook page. "You couldn't know one without knowing the other... from their matching swag, their sibling pits, and jokes only they understood you could feel the love they had for each other. They were the type of cousins so close they might as well have been brothers."

Blackman tweeted: "A lot of y'all know there is no me without ken."

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Ex-USC, NFL player Erik Affholter turns up unhurt

L.A. gun buyback yields rocket launcher, assault weapons

Labor groups cite 'war on women' at L.A. City Hall in job cuts

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

California budget cuts: 'All courts are going to feel the pain'

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:29:30 -0700

State judicial leaders warned Monday that the proposed cuts for the California courts may jeopardize public access to the justice system.

During the last three years, the state's huge court system has been cut by $650 million. The new proposed budget would shrink the system by another $544 million, freezing construction to replace dilapidated courthouses.

The new cuts come after Gov. Jerry Brown released a revised $91-billion budget in response to the state deficit that has ballooned to $16 billion, nearly twice what the governor projected when he released his initial budget proposal in January. In addition to the court cuts, Brown is proposing sharp cuts to health and welfare spending, and a 5% reduction in state payrolls.

California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye called for an emergency meeting Monday of judicial leaders to determine how the courts should respond.

"The proposed cuts to the judicial branch are both devastating and disheartening," Cantil-Sakauye said. "They will seriously compromise the public's access to their courts and our ability to provide equal access to justice throughout the state."

Justice William R. McGuiness, administrative presiding justice of the San Francisco-based appeals court, said the judicial branch already was "at an extremely critical juncture."

"Our courts exist to protect the fundamental rights of all Californians," McGuiness said. "We cannot turn litigants away simply because money is scarce."

Jon Streeter, president of the State Bar of California, agreed.

"All courts are going to feel the pain, even those that have managed well so far," Streeter said.

Niall P. McCarthy, an attorney and co-chair of the Open Courts Coalition, likened the court cuts to Californians being placed "in a tidal wave without a life boat."

"Sadly, they and their constitutional rights are being washed away," McCarthy said.

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L.A. gun buyback yields rocket launcher, assault weapons

Ex-USC, NFL player Erik Affholter missing in Simi Valley hike

Playoffs, Dodgers and bike race set stage for weekend gridlock

-- Maura Dolan in San Francisco

L.A. gun buyback yields rocket launcher, assault weapons

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:51:00 -0700

A $2,000 pair of pocket pistols and a military rocket launcher -- sans rocket -- were among the 1,673 firearms that Los Angeles residents traded in for gift cards in the city’s gun buyback this weekend.

Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa showed off an array of handguns, rifles, shotguns, rifles and assault weapons collected at six locations and piled before them Monday at a news conference outside the Los Angeles Police Department Administration Building.

Some of the weapons were functional and some were not, they said, but most still had lethal potential.

“You’re not hunting ducks with this stuff,” Villaraigosa said. “Too often, these weapons are used to hunt and shoot down people -- and that is why we are here today.”

Gun owners traded their unwanted firearms for gift cards from Ralphs or Visa -- up to $100 for handguns, shotguns and rifles, and up to $200 for assault weapons. Participants could turn in guns anonymously, with no questions asked.

This year’s buyback, an initiative of the mayor's Gang Reduction and Youth Development Office, yielded 791 handguns, 527 rifles, 302 shotguns and 53 assault weapons, including one with a 50-round clip and silencer. Last year the effort netted 2,062 firearms.

The buyback includes an educational outreach campaign involving police, gang prevention and intervention agencies, and community and religious leaders.

“In the four years we have been doing this, we have taken almost 8,000 weapons off the streets of Los Angeles,” Beck said, adding that gun violence has dropped nearly 20%.

Despite such efforts, there still are an estimated 3 million firearms in Los Angeles, Beck said.

He said he has “no problem” with legal gun ownership, but that unwanted firearms are often an attractive nuisance and can fall into the hands of people who might do harm to themselves or others with them.

“Your homes are safer without unwanted guns,” he said.

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-- Kim Christensen

Photo: Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa look over weapons that were among 1,673 firearms Los Angeles residents traded in for gift cards in the city’s gun buyback this weekend. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Ex-USC, NFL player Erik Affholter missing in Simi Valley hike

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:48:30 -0700

Authorities were searching Monday for former USC and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Erik Affholter, who went missing while hiking in the Simi Valley area.

Affholter, 46, was dropped off by his girlfriend about 10 a.m. Sunday at a trailhead behind the Metrolink parking lot on Los Angeles Avenue, police said. The girlfriend called police about 10 p.m. when he didn't return as expected.

About 15 volunteers with the Ventura County sheriff's search-and-rescue team searched through the night, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. They combed the hills around Simi Valley, Oak Park and Agoura on quads, motorcycles and on foot.

They were relieved Monday morning by at least 20 more volunteers, along with search dog teams. A Ventura County sheriff's helicopter was also being used to search the area.

Affholter's girlfriend described him as an avid hiker, but said he is unfamiliar with trails in the Simi Valley area, police said. He is about 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds with shoulder-length gray-brown hair and a gray beard.

Affholter was wearing a maroon USC sweatshirt, black Adidas sweatpants and black shoes, and was carrying two golf clubs, a walking stick and a backpack. He did not have a cellphone with him. Authorities say there is no indication of foul play.

Affholter played football at Oak Park High School, where he broke a national record with a 62-yard field goal in 1982.

He played college football at USC and played a season in the NFL for the Packers.

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Labor groups cite 'war on women' at L.A. City Hall in job cuts

Ex-detective accused of rape to blame antidepressant for attack

-- KTLA-TV Channel 5

Photo: Erik Affholter. Credit: KTLA-TV Channel 5

'Smart' parking meters in Santa Monica to wipe out extra time

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:48:25 -0700

<&&>

The days of finding a few extra minutes on the parking meter are over starting Monday in Santa Monica.

The city is debuting more than 6,000 new high-tech meters that use ground sensors to wipe out any extra time left over after a car moves from the spot or the posted time limit expires.

The smart meters will also alert drivers by text message when their meter is close to running out.

The new sensors also mean drivers will no longer be able to run back and feed the meter to keep their cars parked over the allotted initial time limit.

The city says the new meters should improve parking availability.

The new solar-powered meters, which allow drivers to pay by credit card, phone or coins, are also expected to raise as much as $1.7 million in revenue for the city.

More meters are expected to be installed citywide by next year.

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L.A. mom expected backlash from Time breastfeeding cover

Labor groups cite 'war on women' at L.A. City Hall in job cuts

Ex-detective accused of rape to blame antidepressant for attack

-- KTLA-TV Channel 5

Ex-detective accused of rape to blame antidepressant for attack

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:44:01 -0700

A former Westminster police detective accused of kidnapping a woman from Ontario Mills mall in 2010 and raping her at gunpoint will try to convince a jury Monday that he was under the influence of an antidepressant and therefore not responsible for his actions.

Anthony Nicholas Orban faces kidnapping and rape charges in the attack on a 25-year-old waitress who was abducted while leaving work. Opening statements in the case were scheduled to begin Monday morning in a Rancho Cucamonga courtroom.

Prosecutors and investigators say Orban kidnapped the woman in the parking lot and then forced her to drive to a commercial complex in Fontana, where he raped her. The woman managed to escape during the attack and alert authorities.

According to Ontario police, Orban had a friend, Jeff Thomas Jelinek, a corrections officer at the Chino Institution for Men, pick him up and drive him back to the mall. However, Orban left his police service weapon in the victim’s car, which Ontario police later recovered.

Jelinek in 2011 pleaded guilty to being an accessory to a crime and agreed to testify against Orban.

[Updated at 9:56 a.m.: Orban was taking the antidepressant Zoloft at the time of the attack.]

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Sierra LaMar's mom remembers her 'miracle baby' on Mother's Day

-- Phil Willon in Riverside

Photo: Anthony Nicholas Orban. Credit: Ontario Police Department

Sierra LaMar's mom remembers her 'miracle baby' on Mother's Day

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:36:25 -0700

Sierra LaMar’s mother remembered her missing daughter this weekend as "a miracle baby" and a blessing as searchers continued to look for the Morgan Hill teenager.

“Mother’s Day is a time of reflection on what being a mom has brought to your life. Being a mom has been the greatest joy of my life,” Marlene LaMar said in a message on a website devoted to Sierra, 15, who police believe was abducted outside her home on March 16.

LaMar said Sierra was "a miracle baby" because the mother was unlikely to get pregnant at the time because of her age.

“Regardless of the work it takes to raise children, the overwhelming love far outweighs those moments that you wonder how you’ll ever make it through," she said. "The greatest gift that God has blessed me with is the joy of being a mom to two beautiful daughters. I love you Danielle and Sierra and I’m so proud to be your mom.

Santa Clara County sheriff's officials said last week that they had found a red Volkswagen Jetta believed to be connected to the abduction.

Sgt. Jose Cardoza, a department spokesman, said it had been spotted on surveillance videos near the girl’s house the day she disappeared. The car also was seen in videos taken in the area where the teen's purse and schoolbooks were found a few days later, police said, but its occupants were not visible.

Volunteers searched for the girl Saturday and are scheduled to do so again Wednesday. The case was also featured recently on the syndicated television show, "America’s Most Wanted."

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Woman attacked by two pit bulls in Long Beach

Drunk teen wanders into Sacramento home, scares family

Labor groups cite 'war on women' at L.A. City Hall in job cuts

-- A Los Angeles Times staff writer

Idaho football player slain at Brewery Lofts in Lincoln Heights

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:52:02 -0700

Ken McRoyal was a walk-on at the University of Idaho last year, but the wide receiver who was slain at a party in Los Angeles early Sunday had fit right in on the Vandals football team.

“It's a devastating loss,” football coach Robb Akey said in statement. “We've lost a brother, a teammate, a family member. But more importantly, a momma lost her son today. All of our prayers go to the family that they can be strong in their healing from this tragedy.”

McRoyal, 22, was shot in the upper body at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday at a party at the Brewery Lofts in Lincoln Heights and was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said. A second man was shot in the arm.

Police are seeking four male suspects who were involved in a argument with McRoyal and fled after one fired the shots. No arrests have been made, officials said Monday morning.

McRoyal’s friends gathered at a vigil Sunday night at El Camino College, where he played football before transferring to Idaho to join his cousin and Carson High School teammate, Dominique Blackman, according to KTLA-TV and news reports from Idaho.

“I pray that you bless my teammates back in Idaho, Lord,” Blackman said at the vigil. “We all miss him, Lord.”

Originally from New Orleans, McRoyal and his family were displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and moved to Southern California, Blackman said.

“He was just the epitome of someone who earned it,” he said. “I mean, you know, look at his lifestyle. He survived Hurricane Katrina.”

McRoyal had recently learned he would receive a scholarship for his upcoming senior year, which he hoped would lead to a career in the NFL.

McRoyal's girlfriend, Latrisse Williams, said he was in Los Angeles to see her and their 1-year-old daughter.

“He just wanted to be a good dad. He wanted a connection with his daughter," Williams said, according to KTLA-TV.

The Brewery Lofts, in the 600 block of Moulton Avenue, are part of the Brewery Arts Complex, the site of a former Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery.

Hundreds of artists now work and live in what were once industrial buildings.

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Drunk teen wanders into Sacramento home, scares family

Possibly suicidal FBI agent remains missing in Verdugo Mountains

-- Kim Christensen and KTLA-TV

As Stockton struggles, churches hold drive-thru prayers

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:49:28 -0700

The news in Stockton hasn't exactly been great lately: City leaders are considering filing for bankruptcy protection and Stockton's homicide rate soared last year, prompting local police to erect billboards calling it "the second most dangerous city in California."

But over the weekend, in the midst of a citywide effort to crack down on crime, Stockton church leaders hoped a little extra prayer would help.

Ten churches scattered throughout Stockton participated in Saturday's drive-thru prayer event.

"Jesus loves you so much, c'mon pray with us. … We're just vessels, we can do nothing without God," announced attendees.

"Our whole purpose is to know the need of Stockton, to recognize there has been bad press for Stockton. But we believe we can make an impact, that there's a difference that can be made," said Larry Rust, lead pastor of Calvary First, an Assemblies of God congregation.

Rust and his church organized the event. He believes drive-thru prayer can change people's lives.

"People would attest that when they walk away there's tears in their eyes, they're feeling good about where their situations are. … So when we say prayer's the answer, we believe that, and we've seen the results of that here," Rust said.

In a city under so much stress, congregants of the 10 churches said they wanted Stockton residents to know that someone cares.

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Drunk teen wanders into Sacramento home, scares family

L.A. mom expected backlash from Time breastfeeding cover

-- Fox 40 Sacramento

Drunk teen wanders into Sacramento home, scares family

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:43:00 -0700

A drunk 19-year-old college freshman wandered into a Sacramento home over the weekend, woke up the residents and began chatting with them.

The teen, identified by residents as Alex, apparently had way too much to drink before entering the home on La Riviera Drive through the back door about 3 a.m. Saturday.

Once inside, he stopped in the bedroom of Mary Sanchez, who was awakened by a tap on the shoulder.

"He said, 'Can I come lay in bed with you?' and I said no," Sanchez told Fox40 in Sacramento.

Alex then began talking on his phone and waking up others in the house, including Sanchez's grandson, Will Snyder.

"He then started mouthing off to me, and I'm like, 'What is this guy doing mouthing off to me in my own home at 3 a.m.?'" Snyder said.

He and his grandmother at first thought the student was a friend of another person who lived in the home, but then they figured out he wasn't.

"I grabbed my hatchet and somehow got the blade around his throat. He calmed down at that point," Snyder said.

The teen freed his hands from a zip tie they put on him and jumped out a window through the screen, but Snyder caught up with him down the street and held him until police arrived.

When reached later by Fox40, Alex, a freshman at Cal State Sacramento, said he didn't recall what had happened and promised to repay the family for any damages. No charges were expected to be filed.

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Woman attacked by two pit bulls in Long Beach

Gun buyback program collects 600 weapons in first hour

L.A. mom expected backlash from Time breastfeeding cover

-- FOX40 Sacramento

Arrest made in shooting of Stockton ice cream truck driver

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:28:07 -0700

Police in Stockton have arrested a man suspected of shooting an ice cream truck driver in what may have been an attempted robbery.

Jesus Marez, 23, was arrested by Stockton police in the attempted murder of Muhammed Rafique in March. Marez was booked Saturday into the San Joaquin County Jail.

Rafique was shot in the shoulder and throat and is now out of the hospital and recovering.

The 35-year-old ice cream truck driver was said to be aware of the dangers of his job and had installed a metal grid on the driver’s side window of his truck to deter would-be robbers, police said.

ALSO:

Drunk teen wanders into Sacramento home, scares family

Idaho football player slain at Brewery Lofts in Lincoln Heights

Possibly suicidal FBI agent remains missing in Verdugo Mountains

-- Fox40 Sacramento

Possibly suicidal FBI agent remains missing in Verdugo Mountains

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:07:26 -0700

An FBI agent thought to be despondent and possibly suicidal remained missing Monday after search teams hunted for him over the weekend in the rugged Verdugo Mountains.

Stephen Ivens, 35, a Los Angeles-based agent specializing in national security, left on foot Thursday from his Burbank home in the 1700 block of Scott Road, his family told police.

On Saturday, a 40-member search-and-rescue team from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department joined about a dozen Burbank police officers and 100 FBI agents in the search for him, officials said. It was the largest search in the city in 20 years, said Burbank police Capt. Denis Cremins.

Ivens, an avid hiker who is married and the father of a 1-year-old son, was believed to be carrying his handgun but is not considered to be a threat to anyone but himself, according to authorities.

They have not said why he was despondent, and urge anyone who spots him to call authorities rather than approach him.

Bloodhounds on Saturday tracked Ivens’ scent toward the Verdugos.

Ivens has been with the FBI for more than three years and before that spent eight years with the Los Angeles Police Department. He is white, 6 feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has receding brown hair and wears prescription glasses, according to a police report.

Contact Burbank police at (818) 238-3000 or the FBI at (310) 420-6441.

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Woman attacked by two pit bulls in Long Beach

Drunk teen wanders into Sacramento home, scares family

L.A. mom expected backlash from Time breastfeeding cover

-- Kim Christensen and Brittany Levine, Times Community News

Gun buyback program collects 600 weapons in first hour

Mon, 14 May 2012 07:37:05 -0700

More than 600 weapons were turned in during the first hour of a gun buyback program held over the weekend at six locations in Los Angeles.

This year's event was held on Mother's Day weekend, which officials hoped would spur more people to turn in their weapons.

"We do it on Mother's Day because we think mothers have a strong influence on families and will get them to turn in their unwanted guns," Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck told KTLA-TV Channel 5.

More than 600 weapons were turned in during just the first hour, according to LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman, and authorities were hoping to net about 2,000 weapons.

The gun buyback program allows people to surrender their firearms and ammunition with no questions asked. In exchange, they receive a Ralphs or Visa prepaid card for varying amounts depending on the gun type -- up to $200 for assault weapons and up to $100 for handguns, rifles and shotguns.

Since the program was launched, over 6,200 guns have been taken off the streets and gun violence has been reduced 20%, Beck said.

Last year, the city collected 953 handguns, 688 rifles, 330 shotguns and 91 assault weapons. An anti-tank rocket launcher was also turned in.

The biggest number was collected in 2010, when more than 2,500 guns were turned in.

ALSO:

Idaho football player slain at Brewery Lofts in Lincoln Heights

Possibly suicidal FBI agent remains missing in Verdugo Mountains

Kendrec McDade's parents raise concerns about son's autopsy report

-- KTLA-TV Channel 5

Photo: Rifles, handguns and many other weapons were collected in the LAPD's gun buyback program. Credit: KTLA-TV Channel 5

EDITOR'S PICKS:

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'Gross negligence' found in a patient's care at Norwalk's Metropolitan State Hospital

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Woman attacked by two pit bulls in Long Beach

Mon, 14 May 2012 07:30:58 -0700

A woman had to undergo surgery after she was attacked by two pit bulls while walking her dog in Long Beach.

The attack happened just after 6 p.m. Saturday in the 200 block of East Barclay Street, KTLA-TV Channel 5 reported.

According to Long Beach police, two bystanders tried to fight off the dogs but were attacked as well. Officers arrived and were able to locate one of the pit bulls. After several attempts to stun the dog with a Taser, they opened fire on it and killed it.

The second dog was found nearby and was taken into custody by animal control officers.

The woman sustained serious, but non-life threatening, injuries. Her dog was also attacked and was taken to a local animal hospital for treatment.

One of the Good Samaritans was taken to the hospital and treated for dog bites. The second sought private treatment, also for bites.

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As Stockton struggles, churches hold drive-in prayers

Gun buyback program collects 600 weapons in first hour

L.A. mom expected backlash from Time breastfeeding cover

-- KTLA-TV Channel 5

EDITOR'S PICKS:

California deficit grows to $16 billion, Gov. Jerry Brown says

'Gross negligence' found in a patient's care at Norwalk's Metropolitan State Hospital

Steve Lopez: Thomas beating a reminder of how quickly things can go awry

13 Los Angeles police officers recognized for heroism

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:32:00 -0700

Thirteen Los Angeles Police Department officers were recognized for heroism during a recent ceremony in Hollywood.

Police Chief Charlie Beck last week presented the officers and detectives with the department's highest honors, the Medal of Valor and the Purple Heart. This was the second year the Purple Heart was bestowed on officers who suffered grave injuries in the line of duty.

The officers included men and women, some injured or put at risk while on patrol, on undercover assignments or headed home after work. Three Purple Hearts went to officers shot during a foot chase of an armed suspect in 1949.

Among those honored was Officer Stacy Lim, who in 1990 was followed home by four gang members. As Lim got out of her car, she was shot in the chest with a .357 Magnum revolver.

The bullet damaged her heart, spleen, stomach, intestines and liver, but she got up and returned fire at the gang member wielding the gun. Lim struck the man in the chest and neck, taking him down.

Another officer, Oscar Bryant, responded to a robbery call at a dress shop in South L.A. When he arrived, four suspects were still in the store. As Bryant ordered them to line up and raise their hands, one robber shot him. The officer fell. He returned fire and wounded the man who shot him, along with another suspect. Bryant later died of his injuries.

Four officers were given Medals of Honor, including Det. Craig Marquez, who in December 2011 shot and killed Tyler Brehm, who had randomly shot at passersby at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street.

Brehm was upset over his recent breakup with his girlfriend. Marquez was in plain clothes that day when a transient in the area told him about the gunfire. People sought cover behind cars and parking meters. When the gunman ran toward Marquez, the detective shot and killed him.

More than 800 people, including Jamie Lee Curtis, attended the ceremony at Hollywood & Highland.

Beck called the honors "timeless tributes" to those who went above and beyond their duty.

"We're saying thank you for valiantly protecting the residents of Los Angeles," he said.

esmeralda.bermudez@latimes.com

Parents of man slain by Pasadena police question autopsy report

Mon, 14 May 2012 04:58:00 -0700

The parents of Kendrec McDade have reviewed the autopsy report of their 19-year-old son, who was fatally shot in March by Pasadena police, and said they were concerned that he may have been shot from behind.

The autopsy report, released by the L.A. County coroner's office Friday, shows that the unarmed McDade was shot four times at point-blank range by one officer and was alive and handcuffed after being struck by a total of seven bullets.

At a news conference Saturday, Caree Harper, an attorney for McDade's family, said the bullets that hit McDade's arms and one that hit his hip appear to contradict the police's assertion that none of the shots came from behind him.

A diagram in the autopsy report appears to indicate one bullet entered McDade through the back, but the narrative from the report states that bullet's trajectory was "front to back and downward."

"No matter how you want to twist it there were one, two, three and a possible fourth shot" to the back, Harper said.

She also emphasized the downward trajectory of some of the bullets.

"This to us indicates he was either falling or on the ground when he was shot," Harper said.

Lt. Phlunte Riddle of the Pasadena Police Department said some of the bullets entered through McDade's arms because of his movements at the time of the shooting.

In a federal lawsuit, McDade's parents, Anya Slaughter and Kenneth McDade, also allege McDade was left on the street for a prolonged period of time after the March 24 shooting without receiving first aid. The coroner's report shed no light on this allegation.

McDade, of Azusa, was killed when Pasadena Officers Jeff Newlen and Mathew Griffin responded to a report of an armed robbery at a taco truck in northwest Pasadena. One of the officers pursued McDade on foot and the other from his police cruiser.

The first officer who fired did so while seated in the patrol car as McDade approached with his hand at his waistband. McDade and the officer were "within a foot" of each other, according to the autopsy report.

After he was shot, authorities determined that McDade was unarmed and that the theft victim, Oscar Carrillo, had lied about his assailants having weapons to get a quicker response from police.

The officer who was seated in the patrol car fired four rounds through an open window, according to the autopsy report. The other officer, who was on foot, fired four rounds, believing his partner was involved in a gunfight. The department isn't releasing information about which officer was in the cruiser and which one was on foot.

A doctor at Huntington Memorial Hospital ruled that McDade died of bullet wounds to the abdomen. The autopsy report found that three shots struck McDade in the abdomen or hip, one struck his right leg, two hit his right arm and one his left arm.

The report also showed McDade had alcohol and traces of marijuana in his system at the time he died.

Police have said they believe McDade was the lookout for another teen involved in the theft, though Harper disputes that assertion.

McDade's mother asked anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.

"I want Kendrec's name to be cleared of any wrongdoing," she said, "and I want the cops to be held accountable for my son's death."

adolpho.flores@latimes.com

Crime alerts for Sun Valley, Cheviot Hills and eight other L.A. neighborhoods

Mon, 14 May 2012 03:49:14 -0700

Crime reports are up significantly in 10 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of the latest week of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Six neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Sun Valley (A) was the most unusual, recording 10 reports compared with a weekly average of 3.8 over the last three months.

Cheviot Hills (G) topped the list of four neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded seven property crimes compared with its weekly average of 3.4 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for May 4–May 10, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Violent crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Sun Valley	3.8	10
Lake Balboa	0.9	3
Adams-Normandie	1.9	5
Westlake	17.2	27
Venice	3.1	5
Historic South-Central	9.5	17

Property crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Cheviot Hills	3.4	7
Downtown	71.2	91
Shadow Hills	3.5	6
Chinatown	3.4	6

What triggers a crime alert? Learn about the process in the FAQ for our crime database.

Kendrec McDade's parents raise concerns about son's autopsy report

Sun, 13 May 2012 10:10:54 -0700

The parents of Kendrec McDade have reviewed the autopsy report of their 19-year-old son, who was fatally shot last month by Pasadena police following a chase, and said they are concerned that he may have been shot from the back.

The autopsy report, released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office Friday, shows that the unarmed McDade was shot four times at point-blank range by one officer and was alive and handcuffed after being struck by a total of seven bullets.

At a news conference Saturday, Caree Harper, an attorney for McDade's family, said the bullets that hit McDade’s arms and one that hit his hip appear to contradict the police’s assertion that none of the shots came from the back.

A diagram in the autopsy report appears to indicate one bullet entered McDade through the back, but the narrative from the report states that bullet's trajectory was "front to back and downward."

“No matter how you want to twist it there were one, two, three and a possible fourth shot” to the back, Harper said.

She also emphasized the downward trajectory of some of the bullets.

“This to us indicates he was either falling or on the ground when he was shot,” Harper said.

Pasadena Lt. Phlunte Riddle said some of the bullets entered through McDade’s arms because of his movements at the time of the shooting.

In a federal lawsuit McDade’s parents, Anya Slaughter and Kenneth McDade, also allege McDade was left on the street for a prolonged period of time after the March 24 shooting without receiving first aid. The coroner’s report shed no light on this allegation.

McDade, of Azusa, was killed when Pasadena officers Jeff Newlen and Mathew Griffin responded to a report of an armed robbery at a taco truck in northwest Pasadena. One of the officers pursued McDade on foot and the other from his police cruiser.

After he was shot, authorities determined McDade was unarmed and that the theft victim, Oscar Carrillo, had lied about his assailants having weapons in order to get a quicker response from police.

The officer who was seated in the patrol car fired four rounds through an open window, according to the autopsy report.

The other officer, who was on foot, fired four rounds, believing his partner was involved in a firefight.

Paramedics were called to the scene immediately after the shooting and McDade remained alert until after he arrived at Huntington Memorial Hospital, where he died almost 90 minutes after the shooting, according to the autopsy report.

A doctor at Huntington ruled the cause of death to be bullet wounds to the abdomen, according to the coroner's report. The report found that three shots struck McDade in the abdomen or hip, one to his right leg, two hit his right arm and one his left arm.

The report also showed McDade had alcohol and traces of marijuana in his system at the time he died.

One teen, 17, has pleaded to charges related to the burglary.

Police have said they believe McDade was the teen's lookout, though Caree Harper, an attorney for McDade's family, disputes that assertion.

On Saturday, Harper said her office is seeking to compel Pasadena police to turn on audio and video recorders when they are pursuing a suspect. Police did not do so before pursuing McDade.

“We don’t want to rely on the officer's word that he felt threatened, we want to rely on the eye in the sky to see what really happened,” Harper said.

Anya Slaughter, McDade’s mother, said she visits her son’s grave almost every day and asked for anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.

“It’s hard for me to let go,” Slaughter said, holding her 7-week-old son. “I want Kendrec’s name to be cleared of any wrongdoing and I want the cops to be held accountable for my son’s death.”

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— Adolfo Flores

Fatal shooting at Brewery Lofts in Lincoln Heights investigated by police

Sun, 13 May 2012 09:48:46 -0700

Los Angeles homicide detectives were investigating the fatal shooting of one man and the wounding of another early Sunday at a party at the Brewery Lofts in Lincoln Heights.

Investigators sought to determine what prompted the shooting, which occurred at about 1:30 a.m. in the 600 block of Moulton Avenue, and whether it was gang-related, said Sgt. Michael Morisseau of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollenbeck Division.

A 22-year-old man was pronounced dead at a local hospital; a second man was taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, where he was in stable condition this morning and being treated for a gunshot wound, Morisseau said.

Neither man’s name had been released and other details were not available, he said.

The lofts are part of the Brewery Arts Complex, site of a former Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery where artists now work and live in what were once industrial buildings. The complex’s website describes it as a “uniquely vibrant and creative community.”

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— Kim Christensen

Police seek killer of Black Sabbath Motorcycle Club leader

Sun, 13 May 2012 07:27:58 -0700

Police are searching for a motive and a suspect after the president of the San Diego chapter of the Black Sabbath Motorcycle Club was gunned down Friday night in a drive-by shooting.

San Diego police said a 51-year-old man and a friend were repairing a motorcycle at the club's San Diego clubhouse, near Mt. Hope Cemetery, when a young man drove by in a sport utility vehicle and opened fire. The medical examiner identified the victim as Clyde Major Thompson Jr., who was pronounced dead at a trauma center.

The club president, known as Wild Dogg, "will be greatly greatly missed,'' according to a statement on the club's website from the club's national president, known as Black Dragon. "We don't know much except that he is gone," the statement added.

Police have not discovered a motive for the shooting, Lt. Ernie Herbert said. The shooter was described as a young black man wearing a black hooded jacket and black shirt.

The Black Sabbath Motorcycle Club was formed in 1972 by seven African American men who liked to ride motorcycles on Sundays.

The club, according to its website, is now a multicultural group that has “grown into a brotherhood/sisterhood of men and women from all walks of life” and has chapters across the nation, including in San Bernardino and Las Vegas. San Diego is considered the "mother chapter."

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-- Tony Perry in San Diego

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Missing FBI agent armed and suicidal, police believe

Sun, 13 May 2012 07:19:51 -0700

A missing FBI agent from Burbank, believed to be suicidal and possibly carrying a handgun, has become the subject of a major manhunt this weekend.

Stephen Ivens, 35, a Los Angeles-based agent specializing in national security, was last seen Friday at his home in the 1700 block of Scott Road in Burbank. He may have headed into the rugged Verdugo Mountains, officials said. Also missing from the home he shared with his wife and 1-year-old son is his handgun, officials said.

Officials would not reveal why they believe Ivens may be suicidal.

“He’s been a valuable member of our office,” said FBI Special Agent Steve Gomez.

A 40-member search-and-rescue team from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department along with a dozen Burbank police officers were assisting about 100 FBI agents in the search, officials said.

It was the largest search in Burbank in 20 years, said Capt. Denis Cremins of the Burbank Police Department.

Ivens has been with the FBI for more than three years and before that spent eight years with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Ivens, an avid hiker, left his house on foot. Bloodhounds tracked his scent toward the Verdugo Mountains, Gomez said.

Officials are also searching other areas of the county. They do not believe Ivens is a danger to anyone but himself, but they warned people not to approach him if they spot him and urged people to call authorities.

Ivens is white, 6-feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has receding brown hair and wears prescription glasses, according to a police report.

Contact Burbank police at (818) 238-3000 or the FBI at (310) 420-6441.

— Brittany Levine, Times Community News

Photo: Agent Stephen Ivens

Sheriff's deputy fatally shoots man outside Industry station

Sat, 12 May 2012 18:57:48 -0700

Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives are investigating a fatal deputy-involved shooting in front of the department’s station in the City of Industry on Saturday afternoon.

A deputy shot a man to death shortly before 2 p.m. in the 15000 block of Stafford Street, outside the station. No deputies were injured in the incident.

No further details were immediately available.

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-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Authorities seek armed FBI agent who may be suicidal

Sat, 12 May 2012 18:28:15 -0700

More than 150 law enforcement personnel--including about 100 FBI agents-- were searching Saturday afternoon for a missing FBI agent from Burbank who is believed to be suicidal and possibly carrying a handgun, officials said Saturday.

Officials would not reveal why they believe Ivens may be suicidal.

“He’s been a valuable member of our office,” said FBI Special Agent Steve Gomez.

A 40-member search-and-rescue team from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department along with a dozen Burbank Police officers were assisting about 100 FBI agents in the search, officials said.

It was the largest search in Burbank in 20 years, said Capt. Denis Cremins of the Burbank Police Department.

Ivens has been with the FBI for more than three years and before that spent eight years with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Ivens, an avid hiker, left his house on foot. Bloodhounds tracked his scent toward the Verdugo Mountains, Gomez said.

Ivens is white, 6-feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has receding brown hair and wears prescription glasses, according to a police report.

Contact Burbank Police at (818) 238-3000 or the FBI at (310) 420-6441.

--Brittany Levine, Times Community News

Photo: Agent Stephen Ivens

President of San Diego chapter of Black Sabbath Motorcycle Club slain

Sat, 12 May 2012 14:48:31 -0700

The president of the San Diego chapter of the Black Sabbath Motorcycle Club apparently was gunned down Friday night while working on a motorcycle outside the chapter clubhouse.

San Diego police said a 51-year-old man and a friend were repairing a motorcycle at the club's San Diego clubhouse, near Mt. Hope cemetery, when a young man drove by in a sport-utility vehicle and opened fire.

The 51-year-old was wounded; he was pronounced dead at a trauma center 30 minutes later. Police and the county medical examiner did not release the victim's name.

Police have not discovered a motive for the shooting, said police Lt. Ernie Herbert. The shooter is described as a young black male wearing a black hooded jacket and black shirt.

The Black Sabbath Motorcycle Club was formed in 1972 by seven African American men who liked to ride motorcycles on Sundays. The club, according to its website, is now a multicultural group that has “grown into a brotherhood/sisterhood of men and women from all walks of life” and has chapters across the nation, including San Bernardino and Las Vegas. San Diego is considered the "mother chapter."

[Updated on Saturday May 12 at 8:29 p.m., the medical examiner identified the victim as Clyde Major Thompson Jr.]

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-- Tony Perry in San Diego

One man dead, another wounded in South L.A. drive-by shooting

Sat, 12 May 2012 10:18:08 -0700

One man was killed and another wounded in a drive-by shooting in South Los Angeles on Saturday morning, police said.

A late-model Honda pulled up about 6 a.m. and someone inside fired several shots at two men standing outside a residence on the 100 block of West 45th Street, LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman said.

One man was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the hospital. The other victim, who was shot the leg, was in stable condition.

At least 202 slayings have been reported within two miles of the shooting since January 2007, according to the The Times Homicide Report database. Most died from gunshot wounds.

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-- Tony Barobza

Child porn case in O.C. hinges on computer discs found by relative

Sat, 12 May 2012 09:09:24 -0700

A Newport Beach man's female relative accidentally stumbled upon child pornography when looking for blank computer discs, authorities allege.

The relative allegedly found two videos on them — one depicting a girl believed to be between 10 and 12 who was performing oral sex — according to a search warrant affidavit.

Alex Bassinne, 50, faces up to nine years and four months in state prison for the three felonies of which he stands accused, including possession of child pornography and lewd acts with a child, according to the Orange County district attorney's office. He was arrested May 3 and has posted $100,000 bail.

From October 2006 to May 2010, Bassinne lived with his wife and daughter in a Laguna Niguel home of a relative while his Balboa Peninsula home was being built, court documents indicate.

After the family left to live in Newport, other family members moved into the Laguna Niguel home, where the seemingly blank disks allegedly containing the child pornography were found in 2011. They were in a desk that was being stored in the home's garage.

Items seized by authorities from Bassinne's peninsula home included a gun and black folder filled with "several pages of photos, including [a] picture of a nude child," according to a summary of the search warrant. Also confiscated were phones, external hard drives and two computers.

Bassinne is also accused of molesting two girls between 2009 and 2010 while he was a teacher in the Santa Ana Unified School District, according to the D.A.'s office.

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-- Lauren Williams, Times Community News

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Suspect arrested in San Diego's Starving Bandit robberies

Sat, 12 May 2012 08:24:57 -0700

A 29-year-old San Diego man has been arrested on suspicion of being the Starving Bandit in a string of restaurant and fast-food robberies.

Carlos Dudley is set to be arraigned in San Diego County Superior Court on Tuesday on six counts of robbery and five counts of attempted robbery.

Dudley was arrested after he entered an International House of Pancakes, which had been robbed in April, police said. All the robberies occurred between October and April.

Witnesses said the robber was gaunt, leading police to apply the name Starving Bandit. Dudley is 5-foot-7, 120 pounds, according to jail records.

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Sacramento mayoral candidate touts serial killer's endorsement

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Sacramento mayoral candidate touts serial killer's endorsement

Sat, 12 May 2012 08:10:11 -0700

Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla says convicted serial killer Wesley Shermantine is endorsing him in this year's mayoral race.

Is this a plus or a minus in the race for mayor? Padilla thinks the endorsement is important.

"When you have a guy on death row endorsing you, you have to be somewhat proud of that," Padilla told FOX40 News.

Shermantine makes up one half of the “Speed Freak Killers,” said to be responsible for the murders of as many as 15 people in the 1980s and '90s. Shermantine’s partner was Loren Herzog, who committed suicide in January.

While most people running for office would try to avoid such an endorsement, Padilla is embracing it.

“If I go out here to the unions; if I go to the firemen and ask for their endorsement, they are going to want something in return. This man can't ask for anything in return," said Padilla.

Padilla has sent Shermantine thousands of dollars for information on victims’ bodies hidden throughout Northern California. He says Shermantine’s endorsement won’t hurt his campaign.

"I don't think it will have any backlash because there is nothing about the man that is a secret. He's up there because he killed people. He's giving up bodies, he's doing everything he can to absolve himself of further blame," Padilla.

Padilla is running against incumbent Mayor Kevin Johnson, retired insurance agent Richard Jones and Jonathan Rewers, Sacramento’s Parks and Recreation Commission chairman.

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-- Ian McDonald, Fox 40

Photo: Leonard Padilla. Credit: Fox 40

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Parolee convicted of murdering Riverside police officer

Sat, 12 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

A Riverside County jury convicted a parolee Friday of first-degree murder for shooting a Riverside police officer in 2010, a brutal slaying that occurred after the officer pleaded with the killer.

Earl Ellis Green, 46, faces a possible death sentence for the murder of Officer Ryan Bonaminio, an Iraq War veteran who had been on the force for four years.

The jury deliberated for about three hours before returning with the guilty verdict with special circumstances that would make Green subject to execution. The same panel is scheduled to return to court on May 21 for the penalty phase of the trial.

The trial began with defense attorneys acknowledging that Green had shot and killed Bonaminio in a church parking lot in November 2010. Green's attorneys tried to convince jurors that their client should be convicted of a lesser charge that would not carry the death penalty, saying he was in mental distress after being exiled from his family.

On the night of the shooting, Green, a convicted felon then on parole, jumped out of a stolen big rig that had been involved in a hit-and-run accident and ran into Riverside's Fairmount Park.

Bonaminio, 27, chased Green into a parking lot at an adjacent church. When the officer slipped in the mud near a stairwell, Green emerged and bludgeoned the officer with a metal pipe, prosecutors told the jury. Green then took the injured officer's .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and chambered a new round, according to the prosecution.

Stephen J. McQueen, a homeless man who volunteered at the church, told the jury that he witnessed the shooting while smoking a cigarette in the parking lot.

Bonaminio held his hands up and told the killer, "Don't do it. Don't do it," McQueen testified.

In his opening statement, prosecutor Michael Hestrin said Green's first two shots missed the officer. Green then walked up to Bonaminio, severely injured and on his knees, and fired at the back of the officer's head from a foot or so away.

"He died there, on the cold and dirty asphalt,'' Hestrin told the jury.

Among the evidence presented at the trial was Bonaminio's gun, which later showed traces of the officer's blood and DNA, and was found in a closet inside the home of Green's girlfriend. Green's fingerprints were lifted from electrical tape he apparently used when hot-wiring the rig.

The jury also convicted Green of vehicle theft and gun charges.

Bonaminio was a military police officer in the Army, serving in Baghdad and Mosul, Iraq, as well as in Kuwait City and Hohenfels, Germany. When he left the military to join the Riverside Police Department in 2006, he remained in the Army Reserves and was called back to duty in Iraq in 2008-09.

phil.willon@latimes.com

Parolee convicted of murdering Riverside police officer

Sat, 12 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

A Riverside County jury convicted a parolee Friday of first-degree murder for shooting a Riverside police officer in 2010, a brutal slaying that occurred after the officer pleaded with the killer.

Earl Ellis Green, 46, faces a possible death sentence for the murder of Officer Ryan Bonaminio, an Iraq War veteran who had been on the force for four years.

On the night of the shooting, Green, a convicted felon then on parole, jumped out of a stolen big rig that had been involved in a hit-and-run accident and ran into Riverside's Fairmount Park.

Stephen J. McQueen, a homeless man who volunteered at the church, told the jury that he witnessed the shooting while smoking a cigarette in the parking lot.

Bonaminio held his hands up and told the killer, "Don't do it. Don't do it," McQueen testified.

"He died there, on the cold and dirty asphalt,'' Hestrin told the jury.

The jury also convicted Green of vehicle theft and gun charges.

phil.willon@latimes.com

Former LAPD detective gets 27 to life for 1986 murder

Sat, 12 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

It was a murder that prosecutors say was committed in a fit of rage and jealousy and then covered up for more than two decades.

But on Friday, as she was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison for killing her ex-boyfriend's wife, former Los Angeles Police Det. Stephanie Lazarus masked any emotion, other than a glance and wave in the direction of her mother as she was led away in handcuffs.

The sentencing brought to a close a case that garnered national attention for its sensational story line of a lovelorn cop killing a woman she viewed as a romantic rival and then harboring the dark secret for 23 years. Adding to the drama were acknowledgments that original LAPD homicide detectives overlooked obvious clues that could have implicated Lazarus far earlier.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry issued the sentence after several relatives of slain 29-year-old nursing director Sherri Rae Rasmussen delivered brief but visceral victim-impact statements.

Speaking first before the packed courtroom, Loretta Rasmussen called her daughter's murder a "selfish, brutal act" that caused "a pain for which there is no cure." But in a show of empathy, she also said her "hearts and prayers" went out to the family of the 52-year-old defendant, particularly her mother.

A short time later, Rasmussen's widower, John Ruetten, choked back emotion several times. He described the first time he met his wife and imagined the "terror and disbelief" she must have felt in the moments before her death. He said he also often thought about how history might have been different if he had never known Lazarus.

"I don't know if I will ever know how to cope with this appalling fact," Ruetten said. "There are so many moments and so very many tears."

Lazarus' attorney Mark Overland vowed to appeal. Outside court, Steven Lazarus told reporters that "there was a presumption of guilt" against his sister from the outset.

Sherri Rae Rasmussen was shot three times in the chest after being badly beaten in her Van Nuys town home on Feb. 24, 1986, in what police initially believed was a botched burglary. Three months before the attack, Rasmussen married Ruetten, who had dated Lazarus casually for a few years.

Police were committed to a theory that the suspects were two unidentified male burglars, despite pleas from Rasmussen's father to investigate Ruetten's ex-girlfriend.

DNA from a saliva sample gathered from a bite mark on the victim's left forearm would eventually show that the killer was a woman. But it would take a revolution in forensics technology and the open minds of a new generation of LAPD investigators before Lazarus, by then a respected art theft detective, emerged as the prime suspect.

When the trial opened earlier this year, prosecutors told the eight-woman, four-man jury that the case came down to "a bite, a bullet, a gun barrel and a broken heart." Deputy Dist. Attys. Shannon Presby and Paul Nunez hammered at those points throughout the five-week trial, which included 400 exhibits and testimony from more than 60 witnesses on both sides.

Defense attorney Overland focused on trying to discredit the integrity of the physical evidence, most notably the saliva sample, which he argued had been mishandled and perhaps tampered with over the nearly two decades it sat in a storage freezer. He also said the plastic tube holding the sample had been found poking through the evidence envelope in which it was stored.

The state's case, Overland said, amounted to circumstantial "fluff and filler" that failed to prove Lazarus' guilt.

Overland noted that a blood smear from an unidentified man found at the crime scene was analyzed for DNA and did not match Lazarus or Rasmussen, suggesting the possibility of another suspect. And police were unable to find any witness to the killing.

But prosecutors said the defense could not explain how Lazarus' DNA ended up in the sample tube.

"There are only two possible ways that the defendant's DNA was there: it was there because she did it or it was there because someone ... planted it," Presby said, adding that the defense never presented a plausible tampering theory.

In the end, the DNA evidence proved too difficult to overcome. The jury found Lazarus guilty after deliberating a little more than a day.

Although she was sentenced to at least 27 years to life behind bars before she is eligible for parole, state corrections officials have said she could be eligible for parole in 14 years.

andrew.blankstein@latimes.com

richard.winton@latimes.com

Pilot says he invaded Obama's airspace by mistake

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:56:22 -0700

The pilot who violated President Obama's airspace Friday in Los Angeles told authorities he did so by mistake.

Two F-16 military fighter jets intercepted a general aviation airplane and guided it to El Monte Airport.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that Secret Service agents interviewed the pilot there and he insisted he invaded the airspace inadvertently. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that he was released by authorities.

PHOTOS: President Obama's Studio City fundraising event

Obama had arrived at LAX by helicopter after an early morning basketball game in Cheviot Hills, then left LAX on Air Force One at 9:53 a.m. Large parts of L.A.'s airspace were under flight restrictions because of the president's trip.

In February, a small-plane pilot who strayed into Obama’s airspace was also intercepted. Long Beach police officials said “a large amount of marijuana” was found on that plane. Two F-16 fighter jets intercepted the Cessna 182 after air traffic controllers tried to contact the pilot.

The pilot did not respond and eventually landed -– with escorts -- at Long Beach Airport. Authorities have told The Times that as much as 10 kilograms of marijuana aboard the plane was seized.

Despite concerns about traffic nightmares and possible protests, Obama's fundraiser at the home of actor George Clooney in Studio City went off without a hitch.

People, some cheering, lined the route of Obama's motorcade near Clooney's home. Some noted the president's announcement this week that he supported gay marriage.

Inside, Obama addressed the issue in his remarks at the fundraiser.

"Obviously, yesterday we made some news," he said to applause. "But the truth is it was a logical extension of what America is supposed to be. It grew directly out of this difference in visions. Are we a country that includes everybody and gives everybody a shot and treats everybody fairly, and is that going to make us stronger? Are we welcoming to immigrants? Are we welcoming to people who aren't like us -- does that make us stronger? I believe it does. So that's what's at stake."

Even in the celebrity-laden neighborhood, a presidential motorcade rolling down the street was something special.

About 200 people gathered at Fryman Canyon Road and Iredell Street to cheer as Obama glided past in a long line of black SUVs, California Highway Patrol motorcycles and other vehicles. The problem was figuring out which one the president was in.

ALSO:

Drivers, officials prepare for ramp closures on 405

Police mum on role of third suspect in Marine wife slaying

Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus gets 27 years to life for murder

-- Richard Winton

Photo: President Obama steps off Marine One at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday morning before boarding Air Force One to leave L.A. Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Los Angeles Times

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Crime alerts for Sun Valley, Playa Vista and 11 other L.A. neighborhoods

Sat, 12 May 2012 03:54:57 -0700

Crime reports are up significantly in 13 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of the latest week of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Nine neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Sun Valley (A) was the most unusual, recording 12 reports compared with a weekly average of 3.5 over the last three months.

Playa Vista (J) topped the list of four neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded nine property crimes compared with its weekly average of 4.0 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for April 30–May 6, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Violent crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Sun Valley	3.5	12
Exposition Park	5.5	13
Adams-Normandie	2.1	6
Tujunga	0.8	4
Historic South-Central	10.0	21
Pico-Union	5.7	10
Venice	3.2	5
San Pedro	4.8	8
Leimert Park	1.5	3

Property crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Playa Vista	4.0	9
Harbor City	9.9	20
Shadow Hills	3.5	6
Broadway-Manchester	15.1	24

What triggers a crime alert? Learn about the process in the FAQ for our crime database.

Kendrec McDade was shot 7 times by Pasadena officers, autopsy shows

Sat, 12 May 2012 02:47:00 -0700

Nineteen-year-old Kendrec McDade was shot at point-blank range by one Pasadena police officer and handcuffed after being struck by a total of seven bullets, according to the autopsy report released Friday by the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

The report shows that paramedics were called to the scene immediately after the March 24 shooting and that McDade was "combative" and alert before being taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital, where he died almost 90 minutes later.

Three of the wounds — two in his abdomen and one in his right arm — are considered potentially fatal because they lacerated arteries, according to Pasadena police. One bullet entered through the back of the right arm and another the back of the right forearm.

After he was shot, authorities determined McDade was unarmed and that the theft victim, Oscar Carrillo, had lied about his assailants having weapons in order to get a quicker response from police.

Citing an ongoing investigation, Pasadena Lt. Phlunte Riddle declined to comment on the position of the two officers relative to McDade or on the report from the coroner's office stating that McDade was handcuffed for an unknown period.

"Procedurally, until an individual has been deemed to be no further threat, the officer can use discretion to unhandcuff," Riddle said.

In a federal lawsuit McDade's parents, Anya Slaughter and Kenneth McDade, allege that McDade was shot multiple times in the chest but did not die immediately. McDade tried to speak with the officer but was handcuffed and started to "twitch" and was left on the street for a prolonged period without receiving first aid, according to the suit.

The coroner's report does not shed light on that allegation.

adolfo.flores@latimes.com

Woman killed by hit-and-run driver in North Hollywood

Fri, 11 May 2012 22:30:40 -0700

Los Angeles police Friday night were investigating an apparent hit-and-run that left an unidentified woman dead in North Hollywood.

At 10 p.m. officers were canvassing the 4100 block of Cahuenga Boulevard, near Lankershim Boulevard, for potential witnesses, said LAPD spokesman Bruce Borihanh.

A four-door sedan with collision damage to the front end was seen speeding away from the area, Borihanh said.

He had no other description of the car or the victim, who was found lying in the street.

Police got the first report about the incident at 8:55 p.m.

ALSO:

Kim Kardashian gets competition in Glendale 'mayor' race

Taxpayers' bill for Occupy L.A. protest rises to $4.7 million

Autopsy report: Kendrec McDade shot point-blank by Pasadena police

-- Jack Dolan

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Globe-trotting fathers plead guilty to kidnapping charges

Fri, 11 May 2012 20:52:03 -0700

Two fathers who grabbed their sons from their mothers, then fled the country and traveled the world for more than two years, have pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping charges, authorities said Friday.

George Silah, 49, took his two sons and his brother, John, 51, took his son after receiving a phone message warning that their families would be killed, said Matt Kohn, the brothers’ defense attorney. The threat stemmed from "business complications," but Kohn declined to elaborate.

Prosecutors said the two men promised to help some business associates repair damaged credit. They obtained the clients’ Social Security numbers and then the clients noticed money disappearing, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Justin Rhoades.

Both men were divorced and had only partial legal custody of their sons in July 2008 when they disappeared, according to prosecutors.

The Silahs left the U.S. through Mexico, went through Central America and touched down in Greece before the FBI located them in the Netherlands in November 2010. The mothers flew to Europe to collect the boys and bring them back to Los Angeles.

Both men are medical doctors and were able to tutor the boys -- all of them are in their early teens -- while on the run.

"They didn’t lose out on any education," Kohn said. "The only thing they lost was the companionship of their mothers."

George Silah faces up to six years in federal prison for two counts of "international parental kidnapping." John Silas could spend up to three years behind bars. Both are scheduled for sentencing later this month.

2 fugitive fathers arrested in abduction of their sons

3 boys kidnapped in Playa del Rey may be in Guatemala

-- Jack Dolan

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Trutanich seeks probe of district attorney's office [Updated]

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:41:33 -0700

Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich asked state authorities Friday to investigate what he called "suspicious political activity" in the district attorney's office, including how his personnel file from his work as a county prosecutor during the 1980s has gone missing.

The request to the attorney general's office followed a Times story that detailed varying accounts Trutanich has given about an incident in a South L.A. park in the mid-1980s while he was working on a murder case. His campaign says Trutanich was shot at by gang members who surrounded him in Green Meadows Park, but Trutanich did not mention being shot at or being surrounded during a 2008 deposition in which he was asked what had happened.

In response to a Times request for records about the incident, the district attorney's office said Trutanich's personnel file is one of many missing from that era and that its disappearance was first noted when Trutanich was running for city attorney.

"This statement is shocking," Trutanich wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Times. "The fact that the district attorney’s office admitted to losing custody and control over my records is bad enough. The possibility that records have been removed, tampered with or stolen in the course of a political campaign merits your office’s immediate review."

A Trutanich campaign strategist did not return messages seeking comment about the letter. An attorney general's spokesman said his office had received the letter and would review its contents.

District attorney's officials notified Trutanich in a letter they made public Friday that they had been unable to find his personnel records after conducting searches in response to several requests dating back to 2008, when Trutanich was running for city attorney. A D.A.'s spokeswoman said Trutanich's personnel file is one of many missing from that era.

Trutanich's letter to Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris also complained that Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley has used his downtown county office to film a campaign video for his chief deputy, Jackie Lacey.

Trutanich and Lacey are among six candidates vying to replace Cooley in the June 5 election. The others are L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. John L. Breault III, Deputy Dist. Atty. Bobby Grace, Deputy Dist. Atty. Alan Jackson and Deputy Dist. Atty. Danette Meyers.

[Updated at 8:22 p.m.: Cooley said late Friday that he and the office had done nothing wrong and that he was supporting Trutanich for city attorney in 2008 when the DA's office first discovered that Trutanich's personnel file was missing.

"It's slanderous against the DA's office and against me," he said of Trutanich's allegations of "suspicious political activity. "They're trying to divert attention away from the story."

Cooley also said it was legal for him to film the campaign video in his office.]

ALSO:

Guilty verdict in slaying of Riverside police officer

Taxpayers' bill for Occupy L.A. protest rises to $4.7 million

Public tribute to Junior Seau tonight at Qualcomm Stadium

-- Jack Leonard

Photo: L.A. City Atty. Carmen Trutanich. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Man sentenced for exposing himself to woman, her grandchildren

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:49:36 -0700

A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to four years in state prison for breaking into a Garden Grove home and performing a lewd act in front of a woman and her two grandchildren, authorities said.

Ozro Robert Lee of Santa Ana used a screwdriver to pry open the front door of the family’s home, frightening one of the girls, who screamed. When the grandmother investigated, she found the strange man and ordered him to leave. He did, but not before he dropping his pants and masturbating in front of the 59-year-old woman and the girls, who were 6 and 8 at the time.

None of the victims knew Lee, who was arrested outside the home by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies shortly after the encounter.

Lee was found guilty of first degree residential burglary, indecent exposure and two counts of "child annoyance after trespass," according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

In addition to prison time, Orzo will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

ALSO:

Guilty verdict in slaying of Riverside police officer

Taxpayers' bill for Occupy L.A. protest rises to $4.7 million

Public tribute to Junior Seau tonight at Qualcomm Stadium

-- Jack Dolan

Photo: Ozro Robert Lee. Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Authorities investigate pilot who invaded Obama's airspace

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:03:06 -0700

It remains unclear whether the pilot who violated President Obama's airspace Friday in L.A. will face any criminal charges.

Two F-16 military fighter jets intercepted a general aviation airplane and guided the plane to El Monte Airport.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that Secret Service agents interviewed the pilot there and that he has been arrested.

The sources said the incident appears to have been unintentional. The pilot's name was not released.

"The fighters responded to a temporary flight restriction violation by a Piper 28 aircraft," the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement. "After intercepting the aircraft, the F-16s followed it until it landed without incident, at approximately [9:50 a.m. PST], where the plane was met by local law enforcement."

PHOTOS: President Obama's Studio City fundraising event

Obama arrived at LAX from Cheviot Hills by helicopter, then left LAX on Air Force One at 9:53 a.m. Large parts of L.A.'s airspace were under flight restrictions because of the president's trip.

The pilot did not respond and eventually landed -– with escorts -- at Long Beach Airport. Authorities have told The Times that as much as 10 kilograms of marijuana aboard the plane was seized.

Despite concerns about traffic nightmares and possible protests, Obama's fundraiser at the home of actor George Clooney in Studio City went off without a hitch.

People, some cheering, lined the route of Obama's motorcade near Clooney's home. Some noted the president's announcement this week that he supported gay marriage.

Inside, Obama addressed the issue in his remarks at the fundraiser.

Even in the celebrity-laden neighborhood, a presidential motorcade rolling down the street was something special.

ALSO:

Drivers, officials prepare for ramp closures on 405

Police mum on role of third suspect in Marine wife slaying

Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus gets 27 years to life for murder

-- Richard Winton

Photo: President Obama steps off Marine One at Los Angeles International Airport before boarding Air Force One to leave L.A. Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Los Angeles Times

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

3 arrested in suspected welfare fraud tied to Pasadena liquor store

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:14:09 -0700

The owner of a Pasadena liquor store and two clerks have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit welfare fraud after a joint investigation involving local and federal authorities.

The Pasadena Police Department, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Secret Service and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, served search warrants at five locations in Pasadena, Burbank and Glendale earlier this week.

The investigation into Sunshine Liquor, at 3360 E. Colorado Blvd., started in 2011 after local authorities received complaints about possible welfare fraud.

George Kerio, 38, of Glendale is the owner of Sunshine Liquor, according to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control website. Kerio was arrested, as were Nassib Shankour, 43, and Daniel Bonilla, 29, both of Pasadena. The business has been cited in the past for selling alcohol to a minor and was forced to close for 15 days and pay a $3,000 fine.

Nine weapons and about $300,000 in cash were seized when the search warrants were served, according to a statement released by the Pasadena Police Department. Police are also seeking a fourth suspect.

-- Adolfo Flores, Times Community News

ALSO:

Guilty verdict in slaying of Riverside police officer

Taxpayers' bill for Occupy L.A. protest rises to $4.7 million

Public tribute to Junior Seau tonight at Qualcomm Stadium

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

L.A. gang members found guilty in major racketeering case

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:02:24 -0700

In 2005, among the ranks of a shadowy organization reigning the streets near MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, a business decision was made.

Building on an already highly profitable drug-dealing operation specializing in crack cocaine, they would tap a new revenue source -- extorting the vendors that crowd the streets each evening, selling everything from clothes to pirated DVDs to electronics, supplementing a hardscrabble existence.

That was the enterprise described by federal prosecutors in a racketeering trial against the Columbia Lil Cycos, a group they depicted as one of the most ruthless and lucrative cliques of the 18th Street gang. To refuse payment -- at first $10 or $20, later climbing to $50 -- meant to invite the ire of the clique’s enforcers, they alleged.

The business decision led to bloodshed in September 2007 when an 18-year-old tasked with gunning down a defiant vendor accidentally shot to death a 3-week-old infant. The baby’s death triggered a large-scale crackdown on the clique that culminated with a two-month trial that began this March.

On Friday, a Los Angeles jury convicted four of the clique’s members of federal racketeering charges for participating in the gang’s operations. One defendants, Javier Perez, also was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to kidnap for luring the baby’s shooter down to Mexico and attempting to strangle him, to avoid the heat on the clique after the baby’s killing. The three others, Eduardo Hernandez and twins Vladimir and Leonidas Iraheta, accused of being the gang’s muscle, were also convicted of drug-trafficking charges.

Among the witnesses at the trial were the vendor, who lived despite four gunshot wounds, and the gunman, who survived the gang’s attempt on his life.

“It was a group that rose to power through the willingness of its members to act ruthlessly for the gang,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Kevin Lally told jurors in closing arguments. “This is a case about a criminal enterprise, the CLCS, and those that did its bidding.”

The jury deadlocked, however, on charges involving an older murder that prosecutors attributed to the gang: the 2001 slaying of college student Jose Barajas Jr., whom gang members allegedly mistook for a rival gangster.

The defendants face up to life in prison when they are sentenced in September, according to prosecutors.

ALSO:

Guilty verdict in slaying of Riverside police officer

Taxpayers' bill for Occupy L.A. protest rises to $4.7 million

Public tribute to Junior Seau tonight at Qualcomm Stadium

-- Victoria Kim

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Stevie Wonder's nephew, woman charged in extortion plot

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:28:55 -0700

Stevie Wonder's nephew and a woman have been charged in an extortion plot against the legendary singer, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said Friday.

Alpha Lorenzo Walker, 38, and Tamara Eileen Diaz, 38, are charged with felony extortion of money and other property from Wonder by "means of force and threat." Walker is Wonder's nephew.

The pair were arrested May 2 after an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department's elite Robbery Homicide Division. Sources familiar with the probe say the officers were among the people the couple thought were representing the singer.

Walker is a contractor and was arrested at 3 p.m. May 2 at 2049 Century Park East. He was also being held on a probation violation but no details were available.

The couple were arrested after allegedly threatening to reveal embarrassing information about Wonder unless he paid them a significant sum of money.

ALSO:

Guilty verdict in slaying of Riverside police officer

Taxpayers' bill for Occupy L.A. protest rises to $4.7 million

Public tribute to Junior Seau tonight at Qualcomm Stadium

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Stevie Wonder performs at the White House on May 9. Credit: Kevin Dietsch / Pool

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Guilty verdict in slaying of Riverside police officer

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:18:43 -0700

A Riverside jury has reached a guilty verdict in the trial of Earl Ellis Green, who was accused of shooting Riverside police officer Ryan Bonaminio at point-blank range as the officer pleaded for his life.

The panel deliberated for about three hours before returning Friday with the guilty verdict on first-degree murder with special circumstances that would make Green eligible for the death penalty.

The trial began with defense attorneys acknowledging that Green had fired the shots that killed Bonaminio in a church parking lot in November 2010 after Green led the officer on a foot chase through a Riverside's Fairmount Park. The attorneys had aimed at a conviction on a lesser charge that would not carry the death penalty.

The 46-year-old convicted felon, then on parole, jumped out of a stolen truck that was being pursued by police after it had been involved in a hit-and-run, police officials said. Bonaminio, 27, followed Green into the park. When the officer slipped in the mud near a stairwell, Green emerged and bludgeoned the officer with a metal pipe, prosecutors told the jury. Green then took the injured officer's .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and chambered a new round, according to the prosecution.

Stephen J. McQueen, a homeless man who volunteered at the church, told the jury that he saw the shooting unfold as he smoked a cigarette in the parking lot. Bonaminio, hands up, told the killer, "Don't do it. Don't do it,'' McQueen testified. "Then there was three shots. One shot did not seem to affect the officer at all,'' said McQueen, who did not see the suspect well enough to identify Green as the killer. "The next two, there was movement, and then the officer began falling.''

In his opening statement, prosecutor MIchael Hestrin said Green's first two shots missed the officer. Green then walked up to Bonaminio, on his knees at the time, and fired at the back of the officer's head from a foot or so away, Hestrin said. "His life and blood poured out of him,'' Hestrin told the jury.

"He died there, on the cold and dirty asphalt.''

Among the evidence presented at the trial was Bonaminio's gun, which later showed traces of the officer's blood and DNA, and was found in a closet inside the home of Green's girlfriend. Green's DNA was found on a beer can inside the big rig, which had been stolen from a Penske rental lot, and his fingerprints were lifted from electrical tape he apparently used when hot-wiring the rig.

Bonaminio's blood and DNA were found in the same truck, according to Hestrin. After the shooting, Green walked back to the truck and drove off, according to prosecutors, who played a video taken from the officer's patrol car that showed a man fleeing the truck as a voice shouted for him to stop, then getting back in the truck and leaving about two minutes later.

ALSO:

Taxpayers' bill for Occupy L.A. protest rises to $4.7 million

Public tribute to Junior Seau tonight at Qualcomm Stadium

Autopsy report: Kendrec McDade shot point-blank by Pasadena police

-- Phil Willon

Photo: Joseph Bonaminio, father of Riverside Police Officer Ryan Bonaminio, looks down during a 2010 news conference as Police Chief Sergio Diaz announces that Earl Ellis Green of Rubidoux, whose image is at left, was arrested on suspicion of murdering the officer. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Taxpayers' bill for Occupy L.A. protest rises to $4.7 million

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:16:23 -0700

A new report says Occupy Los Angeles cost taxpayers at least $4.7 million, two-thirds of which was spent policing the protest.

The report by City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana says the Los Angeles Police Department spent $1.3 million monitoring protesters during the course of their two-month demonstration outside City Hall, and $1.3 million evicting them. An additional half a million dollars was spent by city security officers, according to the report.

The tally of city costs is $2 million higher than an estimate reported in February. Officials say the higher figure reflects newly reported costs to police the protest and the tab to restore the City Hall Park and several monuments damaged by protesters. The city has received more than $400,000 in donations and rebates to restore the park, Santana said.

360° tour: Occupy L.A. encampment at Los Angeles City Hall

His report comes as the City Council deliberates Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's proposed budget, which calls for hundreds of layoffs and job eliminations to help close a $220-million budget deficit.

City Councilman Mitchell Englander said the costs of the protest to the city should make city officials hesistate before they endorse similar movements in the future.

When the occupiers first launched their demonstration last September as part of a nationwide protest against economic inequality, they were welcomed by city lawmakers. The City Council passed a resolution in support of the “peaceful and vibrant exercise in First Amendment Rights carried out by Occupy Los Angeles.” And then-Council President Eric Garcetti told protesters, “Stay as long as you need, we’re here to support you.”

At the same time, police monitored the demonstration closely, setting up a command post inside City Hall and, in the final days of the demonstration, sending in undercover officers. After Villaraigosa ordered the park closed to allow repairs to the trampled lawn in late November, some 1,400 police officers swarmed downtown to clear protesters from the park in a dramatic show of force that led to hundreds of arrests.

ALSO:

13 LAPD officers recognized for heroism

Green bike lane in downtown L.A. sees moderate boost in traffic

L.A. Coliseum chief probed for allegedly discussing job with USC

-- Kate Linthicum at City Hall

twitter.com/katelinthicum

Photo: LAPD officers form a skirmish line at the corner of First and Main streets before the Occupy L.A. encampment at City Hall was cleared. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

13 LAPD officers recognized for heroism

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:01:45 -0700

Thirteen Los Angeles Police Department officers were recognized this week for heroism during an annual ceremony in Hollywood.

Police Chief Charlie Beck presented the officers and detectives Thursday with the department’s highest honors, the medal of valor and the purple heart. This was the second year the purple heart was bestowed on officers who have suffered grave injuries in the line of duty.

The officers included men and women, some injured or put at risk while on patrol, on undercover assignments or headed home after work. Three purple hearts went to officers shot during the foot chase of an armed suspect back in 1949.

Among those honored was Stacy Lim, an officer who in 1990 was followed home by four gang members. As Lim got out of her car she was shot in the chest with a .357 Magnum revolver.

The bullet damaged her heart, spleen, stomach, intestines and liver, but at the time, she got up and continued to return fire at the gang member wielding the gun. After a several shots back and forth, Lim shot the man in the chest and neck, taking him down.

Another officer, Oscar Bryant, responded to a robbery call at a dress shop in South L.A. When he arrived, four robbers were still in the store. Bryant ordered them out, but as he ordered them to line up and raise their hands, one robber shot Bryant. The officer fell. He fought back and wounded the man who shot him, along with another suspect. Bryant later died of his injuries.

Four officers were given medals of honor, including Det. Craig Marquez, who in December 2011 shot and killed Tyler Brehm, who had randomly shot at passersby on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street.

Brehm was upset over a recent breakup with his girlfriend. Marquez was in plain clothes that day when a transient in the area told him about the gunfire. People ran in opposite directions, seeking cover behind cars and parking meters. Marquez ultimately confronted the shooter, and as the gunman ran toward him, Marquez shot and killed him.

More than 800 people, including Jamie Lee Curtis, attended the award ceremony at Hollywood & Highland.

Beck called the honors “timeless tributes” to those who went above and beyond their duty.

“We’re saying thank you for valiantly protecting the residents of Los Angeles,” he said.

ALSO:

Pilot who violated Obama's airspace arrested, sources say

Stevie Wonder's nephew, woman charged in extortion plot

Taxpayers' bill for Occupy L.A. protest rises to $4.7 million

-- Emseralda Bermudez

Photo: Scene of fatal shooting last December in Hollywood. Four officers received medals of honor for their work in stopping gunman Tyler Brehm, who randomly shot at passerby on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Pilot who violated Obama's airspace arrested, sources say

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:19:29 -0700

Two F-16 military fighter jets intercepted a general aviation airplane that violated airspace restrictions as President Obama was leaving Los Angeles on Friday and guided the plane to El Monte Airport.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that Secret Service agents interviewed the pilot at El Monte Airport and that he has been arrested.

The sources said the incident appears to have been unintentional. The pilot's name was not released.

"The fighters responded to a temporary flight restriction violation by a Piper 28 aircraft," the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement. "After intercepting the aircraft, the F-16s followed it until it landed without incident, at approximately [9:50 a.m. PST] where the plane was met by local law enforcement."

PHOTOS: President Obama's Studio City fundraising event

Obama arrived at LAX from Cheviot Hills by helicopter, then left LAX on Air Force One at 9:53 a.m. Large parts of L.A.'s airspace were under flight restrictions because of the president's trip.

In February, a small-plane pilot who strayed into Obama’s airspace was also intercepted.

Long Beach police officials said “a large amount of marijuana” was found on board that plane.

Two F-16 fighter jets intercepted the Cessna 182 after air traffic controllers tried to contact the pilot.

The pilot did not respond and eventually landed -– with escorts -- at Long Beach Airport.

Authorities have told The Times that as much as 10 kilograms of marijuana aboard the plane was seized.

Despite concerns about traffic nightmares and possible protests, Obama's fundraiser at the home of actor George Clooney in Studio City went off without a hitch.

People, some cheering, lined the route of Obama's motorcade near Clooney's home. Some noted the president's announcement this week that he supported gay marriage.

Inside, Obama addressed the issue in his remarks at the fundraiser.

Even in the celebrity-laden neighborhood, a presidential motorcade rolling down the street was something special.

About 200 people gathered at the corner of Fryman Canyon Road and Iredell Street to cheer as Obama glided past in a long line of black SUVs, California Highway Patrol motorcycles and other vehicles. The problem was figuring out which one the president was in.

ALSO:

Drivers, officials prepare for ramp closures on 405

Police mum on role of third suspect in Marine wife slaying

Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus gets 27 years to life for murder

-- Richard Winton

Photo: President Obama steps off Marine One at Los Angeles International Airport before boarding Air Force One to leave L.A. Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Los Angeles Times

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Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Family faces ex-LAPD detective who killed their loved one

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:02:56 -0700

The family of the woman killed by former LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus spoke eloquently about Sherri Rae Rasmussen before the ex-cop was sentenced Friday to 27 years to life in prison for killing her romantic rival.

Some speculated that Rasmussen's family might use their time before the court to criticize the Los Angeles Police Department's investigation in the 26-year-old case or to criticize Lazarus herself, but they chose to focus on their loved one's dedication to the nursing profession and the profound loss they felt after her murder.

PHOTOS: Former LAPD detective sentenced to 27 years

Her daughter's death was "a pain for which there is no cure," Ramussen's mother, Loretta Rasmussen, told the court before sentencing, adding that her family's prayers were with Lazarus' family, especially her mother.

Sherri Rasmussen's sister, Teresa Lane, said she and her sister shared the same wedding anniversary.

"What a waste it was to take her life," Lane said. "She lives in all of us. Can you imagine what she might have done [had she lived]?"

Her widower, John Ruetten, said he thought many times about how his wife might still be alive had he never known Lazarus.

"I don't know if I will ever know how to cope with this appalling fact," he said. "There are so many moments and so very many tears."

A prosecutor also read a statement in court from Rasmussen's father.

Earlier, prosecutors said in a "statement of views" filed in court that "Lazarus misused her police training in the most profound way imaginable by utilizing that training and experience to commit murder and to cover up her crime."

Lazarus was convicted in March of first-degree murder in the slaying of Rasmussen, who was shot three times in the chest in her Van Nuys home on Feb. 24, 1986.

Several months before the attack, Rasmussen, a 29-year-old hospital nursing director, had married Ruetten, who had also dated Lazarus casually for a few years before the wedding.

Los Angeles County prosecutors had asked Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry to sentence Lazarus to at least 27 years behind bars before she is eligible for parole.

The case garnered national attention for its sensational story line of a lovelorn cop killing a woman she viewed as a romantic rival, and then for decades harboring the dark secret. Adding to the drama, detectives ignored pleas by Rasmussen's father at the time of the killing to look at Lazarus as a possible suspect.

But it would take a generation, a revolution in forensics technology and a second LAPD investigation before Lazarus, who had become a respected art theft detective, officially emerged as the prime suspect in the case.

Rasmussen family attorney John C. Taylor, who praised the work of current LAPD detectives, said in March that the family would address the handling of the original police investigation. The case against Lazarus came down to "a bite, a bullet, a gun barrel and a broken heart,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Shannon Presby said in his opening statement.

Presby and co-counsel Paul Nunez sought to hammer home those points throughout the five-week trial, in which more than 60 witnesses testified and 400 exhibits were presented from the state and the defense.

Defense attorney Mark Overland countered by repeatedly questioning the integrity of the DNA bite mark evidence -- arguing that the vial it was stored in was not properly sealed and the envelope containing the sample was ripped.

He also noted that a blood smear from an unidentified male was analyzed for DNA and did not match either the blood of Lazarus or Rasmussen, suggesting the possibility of another suspect. During cross-examination, Overland tried to show his client was not the obsessed, jilted lover portrayed by prosecutors.

In fact, Overland said, her former boyfriend Ruetten continued to pursue Lazarus after becoming engaged. In the end, the DNA evidence proved too difficult to overcome. After little more than a day of deliberation, the panel of eight women and four men found Lazarus guilty.

ALSO:

Drivers, officials prepare for ramp closures on 405

Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus gets 27 years to life for murder

Disappearance of Fox executive not a homicide case, sheriff says

-- Andrew Blankstein at L.A. County Superior Court

Photo: Loretta Rasmussen, mother of murder victim Sherri Rasmussen, speaks before the sentencing of former LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

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With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

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Police mum on role of third suspect in Marine wife slaying

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:51:40 -0700

A third suspect is set to be arraigned Monday on a charge of murder in the death of 22-year-old Brittany Dawn Killgore, the wife of a Marine at Camp Pendleton.

Investigators declined to reveal what role they believe Maraglino may have played. Like Perez, Lopez and Killgore, Maraglino lived in Fallbrook.

Maraglino's arraignment is set for the Vista branch of San Diego County Superior Court. She is being held without bail.

Prosecutors have said that Killgore had been set to attend a dinner cruise in San Diego with Perez and his girlfriend on April 13 but instead sent a text message to a friend saying she was in "distress" and needed help. Perez was the last person seen with Killgore. Maraglino was Perez's girlfriend.

He and Perez served at Camp Pendleton.

ALSO:

40,000 people expected at USC graduation ceremonies today

Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus gets 27 years to life for murder

Coroner identifies body found dumped on Angeles Crest Highway

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Brittany Dawn Killgore. Credit: San Diego County Sheriff's Department

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Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Teen mom allegedly tried to kill newborn baby with rat poison

Coroner identifies body found dumped on Angeles Crest Highway

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:23:42 -0700

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The body found on Angeles Crest Highway Thursday morning has been identified as 35-year-old Noe Vasquez, a Los Angeles County coroner's officials said.

Coroners officials have not yet completed an autopsy on Vasquez to determine his cause of death, although authorities on Thursday said he may have died of a gunshot wound, the La Cañada Valley Sun reported.

Larry Dietz, a spokesman for the coroner's office, said officials have not yet determined Vasquez's city of residence.

Vasquez's body was discovered near the Mile 27 marker on Angeles Crest Highway above La Cañada Flintridge early Thursday morning, prompting authorities to close the road for most of the day.

ALSO:

Teen mom allegedly tried to kill newborn baby with rat poison

Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus gets 27 years to life for murder

L.A. businesses accused of practicing medicine without a license

-- Bill Kisliuk, Times Community News

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus gets 27 years to life for murder

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:14:25 -0700

Former Los Angeles Police Det. Stephanie Lazarus was sentenced Friday to 27 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole for killing her ex-boyfriend's wife nearly three decades ago in a fit of rage and jealousy.

Prosecutors said in a "statement of views" filed in court that "Lazarus misused her police training in the most profound way imaginable by utilizing that training and experience to commit murder and to cover up her crime. Lazarus betrayed the trust placed in her by the Los Angeles Police Department and by people of Los Angeles in order to pursue her own murderous ends."

PHOTOS: Former LAPD detective sentenced to 27 years

"Lazarus' profound narcissism led her to kill and continues to motivate her denial of responsibility."

Lazarus was convicted in March of first-degree murder in the death of Sherri Rae Rasmussen, who was shot three times in the chest in her Van Nuys home on Feb. 24, 1986. Several months before the attack, Rasmussen, a 29-year-old hospital nursing director, had married John Ruetten, who had also dated Lazarus casually for a few years before the wedding.

Los Angeles County prosecutors had asked Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry to sentence Lazarus to at least 27 years behind bars before she is eligible for parole.

The sentence came after emotionally charged statements from the friends and family of Rasmussen.

Rasmussen family attorney John C. Taylor, who praised the work of current LAPD detectives, said in March that the family would address the handling of the original police investigation.

The case against Lazarus came down to "a bite, a bullet, a gun barrel and a broken heart,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Shannon Presby said in his opening statement. Presby and co-counsel Paul Nunez sought to hammer home those points throughout the five-week trial, in which more than 60 witnesses testified and 400 exhibits were presented from the state and the defense.

In fact, Overland said, her former boyfriend Ruetten continued to pursue Lazarus after becoming engaged.

In the end, the DNA evidence proved too difficult to overcome. After little more than a day of deliberation, the panel of eight women and four men found Lazarus guilty.

ALSO:

Kendrec McDade’s full autopsy report due next week

Disappearance of Fox executive not a homicide case, sheriff says

Mom has unlawful sex, baby with daughter's boyfriend, 16, police say

-- Andrew Blankstein at L.A. County Superior Court

Photo: Stephanie Lazarus, a former Los Angeles police detective, was sentenced to 27 years to life in state prison for the murder her ex-boyfriend's wife more than 26 years ago. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

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EDITOR'S PICKS:

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With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

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Kendrec McDade’s full autopsy report due next week

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:45:54 -0700

A full coroner's report that will give precise details of the autopsy on a 19-year-old teen shot and killed by Pasadena police in March will not be released until next week, Los Angeles County coroner's officials said.

Pasadena police released a summary of the autopsy on Thursday, which showed that Kendrec McDade was shot seven times. Three of the wounds -- two in his abdomen and one in his right arm -- are considered potentially fatal because they struck arteries, according to Pasadena police.

The autopsy found that no shots hit McDade in the back, according to the statement.

The detailed report will not be publicly available for a few more days, a coroner's spokesman said.

McDade, 19, was killed March 24 when Officers Jeff Newlen and Mathew Griffin responded to a report of an armed theft at a taco truck in northwest Pasadena. One of the officers pursued McDade on foot and another from his police cruiser.

Pasadena Lt. Phlunte Riddle said the first officer who fired did so while seated inside the patrol car when McDade approached the car with his hand at his waistband.

After he was shot, authorities determined that McDade was unarmed and that the theft victim, believing he would get a quicker response from police, had lied about his assailants having weapons.

The shooting has prompted four separate inquiries, which are ongoing.

ALSO:

Drivers, officials prepare for ramp closures on 405

Disappearance of Fox executive not a homicide case, sheriff says

Mom has unlawful sex, baby with daughter's boyfriend, 16, police say

-- Adolfo Flores and Richard Winton

Photo: A memorial at the site of the shooting of Kendrec McDade at Orange Grove Avenue and Sunset Avenue in Pasadena. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

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With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

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Teen mom allegedly tried to kill newborn baby

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:32:23 -0700

A Stanislaus County teenager has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to kill her newborn daughter.

"The suspect admitted to trying to give the baby rat poison, also hitting it with a purse," said Modesto police Lt. Jeremy Young.

Cashel Phin, 18, of Modesto is being held in lieu of $1.6 million bail. Authorities said the investigation began when a friend of Phin’s heard her say she had put the infant, who was born April 13, in a trash can.

The baby, Anna, is currently in the care of Phin’s sister, Jen Chung.

“We are glad Anna is with us and she is safe,” Chung told Fox40 in Sacramento.

Chung said the family knew that Phin, a Modesto High School student, was having some issues following the birth, but they never believed she would harm Anna.

ALSO:

Drivers, officials prepare for ramp closures on 405

Fox executive's disappearance not a homicide case, sheriff says

Mom has unlawful sex, baby with daughter's boyfriend, 16, police say

-- Fox40 Sacramento

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Mom has unlawful sex, baby with daughter's boyfriend, 16, police say

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:08:50 -0700

<&&&&&&&&&&>

A Santa Ana woman accused of having unlawful sexual intercourse with her daughter's teenage boyfriend is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

Investigators suspect that Mayra Gonzalez, 32, also gave birth to the teen's baby, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department. The Orange County District Attorney's Office has accused Gonzalez of having sex with the boy on six occasions between July 1, 2011, and Dec. 24, 2011, the Orange County district attorney's office said.

Neighbors at Gonzalez's apartment complex alerted the boy's parents about the relationship, police said.

Gonzalez told police when she was arrested that she was in love with the 16-year-old boy.

"She was aware of the fact that he was a minor," Bertagna said.

Gonzalez is charged with six felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor under 16 and two felony counts of oral copulation with a minor under 18.

If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of seven years and eight months in state prison and possible lifetime sex-offender registration. She was being held on $20,000 bail.

Arraignment is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Central Jail in Santa Ana.

ALSO:

Drivers, officials prepare for ramp closures on 405

Disappearance of Fox executive not a homicide case, sheriff says

Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus to be sentenced in woman's slaying

-- Robert Lopez and KTLA News

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Deputy is arrested in second alleged attack on another officer

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy arrested last year on suspicion of assaulting fellow deputies has been accused of kicking another deputy in the groin this week, authorities said.

The latest incident occurred after sheriff's officials arrested Deputy Adrienne Myers, 36, on suspicion of making threats against a former friend, an official said. As Myers was being booked into the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, she allegedly lashed out. She was restrained soon after the groin kick, authorities said.

While she was handcuffed and being escorted to a booking cell, she allegedly kicked another deputy in the groin without provocation, officials said.

That deputy was not injured, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said, but Myers is now also being investigated for battery on a peace officer.

The deputy who was kicked worked at the same sheriff's station, in Norwalk, where Myers used to work, an official said.

Myers declined to comment through Whitmore. Gonzalez could not be reached for comment.

"Obviously, we take this very seriously," Whitmore said. "The investigation will move forward, and the appropriate action will be taken."

Myers was arrested in October after an early-morning brawl among three off-duty deputies at a La Mirada park. On-duty deputies were called after gunshots rang out. They found their three colleagues bloodied and apparently drunk, an official said.

Myers and the two other deputies were on their way home after being out at a bar when Myers and Deputy Judith Gonzalez began arguing. The argument allegedly turned physical and spilled out of the car.

Eventually, Myers stopped fighting Gonzalez and began fighting with the third deputy, an official said. Gonzalez allegedly went back to the car to get her gun. As Myers was on top of the third deputy, Gonzalez fired her weapon. No one was hit, according to the official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the case with the media.

Gonzalez was arrested on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon and Myers on suspicion of felony battery.

Myers has been on paid leave since that incident, Whitmore said.

robert.faturechi@latimes.com

L.A. businesses accused of practicing medicine without a license

Fri, 11 May 2012 07:43:20 -0700

Several business owners in Westlake and East Hollywood have been charged with practicing medicine without a license after two victims became sick and had to be hospitalized.

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office began an undercover investigation of Excellent Nutrition, J&R Beauty Supply earlier this year soon after a woman and her son visited the business complaining of flu-like symptoms.

The woman was prescribed an injection made up of a mix of penicillin and eucalyptus extract by a man identified as Miguel Juarez. The mother immediately suffered an allergic reaction; she was trembling and had trouble breathing.

Rather than call an ambulance, a woman at the business identified as Rosaura Juarez rushed her to the hospital. A week later, the son was admitted after vomiting and suffering chronic stomach pain.

Following an undercover investigation, officers with the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies obtained arrest warrants and seized hundreds of drugs, including controlled substances, and a large amount of cash from the businesses, including: Excellent Nutrition, J&R Beauty Supply in Westlake, Vitamin Zone in Westlake and Good Nutrition in East Hollywood.

Nine people have been charged with illegally selling dangerous drugs and praticing medicine without a license. Each violation carries a maxium sentence of one year in jail and a fine of $5,000 to $10,000.

"The unlicensed practice of medicine and dispensing of medicines and illicit drugs poses a serious threat to our most vulnerable residents,” City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said in a statement. “Especially the elderly and young children.”

ALSO:

Kendrec McDade’s full autopsy report due next week

Disappearance of Fox executive not a homicide case, sheriff says

Gay-marriage stand wins Obama cheers inside, outside Clooney event

-- Esmeralda Bermudez

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Drivers, officials prepare for ramp closures on 405 Freeway

Fri, 11 May 2012 07:30:33 -0700

<&&&&>

This post has been corrected. Please see note at bottom for details.

Los Angeles transportation officials are expected to release new details Friday about closures this summer of entrance and exit ramps on the 405 Freeway through Sepulveda Pass as a massive carpool lane construction project continues.

Some are calling the closures The Rampture. It's not expected to be a pretty picture.

"People have said they're going to go out of town ... or just won't travel that far from home," said Cori Solomon, president of the Brentwood Glen Assn., a homeowners group. "What the community is concerned about is access ... getting up Sepulveda during peak hours and traveling Sunset."

When it first starts, "it will probably be a nightmare," she added.

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority floated the idea of closing the ramps on Wilshire Boulevard in mid-May but decided to wait until public schools close June 20.

All eight ramps on Wilshire must be demolished and rebuilt by 2013. They will be closed in phases for periods of two weeks to three months each.

The first two ramps slated for closure are the westbound Wilshire entrance ramp to the northbound 405 and the northbound 405 exit ramp to westbound Wilshire.

One reason for the delay has been utility line work on Sepulveda, which will be a key detour route during the ramp construction period. Metro officials project that completing the ramp work in phases will take 21 months.

"Nowhere is improvement needed more than at the Wilshire Boulevard/I-405 interchange," Metro says on its website. Indeed, the ramps at rush hour resemble a bowl of tangled noodles, with drivers attempting to enter the freeway weaving among exiting motorists.

At a Friday morning news conference at the southeast corner of Sepulveda and Wilshire, L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Metro project director Michael Barbour and others plan to admonish the public to "plan ahead, adjust travel times or share the ride" during the construction.

Renderings of the new ramp configurations and other information are available at the Metro website.

ALSO:

Fullerton police fatally shoot gunman after chase

SWAT officers respond to two Westside incidents

O.C. woman accused of having sex with teenage boy

-- Martha Groves

[For the record, 12:25 p.m. May 11: A previous version of this post and headline incorrectly referred to the ramp closures as Carmageddon II, but that name should refer only to the expected full closure of the 405 Freeway this summer.]

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Disappearance of Fox executive not a homicide case, sheriff says

Fri, 11 May 2012 07:14:53 -0700

Detectives said they had few solid leads in the disappearance of a longtime 20th Century Fox executive, Gavin Smith, who distributed such hits as "Titanic" and "Avatar," but didn't believe foul play was involved.

"It's an adult missing-persons case, not a homicide," said sheriff's Lt. Wes Sutton. "At this point, there's nothing criminal [related] to his disappearance."

Sutton said that information on Smith had been distributed within the sheriff's department and that his vehicle information has been added to a missing vehicles database should another police agency find it.

In addition, sheriff's officials have distributed fliers and appealed through the media for the public's help.

"We're getting lots of tips," Sutton said, but detectives still don't have a firm sense of what happened.

Smith's family and authorities have been unable to locate him either through cellphone records or credit card billings.

"We're praying and hoping for the best," Smith's eldest son, Evan, a USC basketball player, said Thursday. "It's all in God's hands."

In interviews this week, Smith's family described some of the circumstances leading up to the night he vanished. Smith was staying with a friend near Ventura County's Oak Park neighborhood but drove away in his Mercedes between 9 and 10 p.m. without telling anyone, which the family said was unusual.

Wearing a pair of purple athletic pants belonging to one of his sons, Smith left behind his cellphone charger, shaving kit and other items.

"That's what he was wearing, you know?" Evan Smith told "Good Morning America" in an interview. "It doesn't sound like he was going anywhere."

Smith's family said he hasn't gone to his Calabasas office since he disappeared. They declined to elaborate on why he was staying with the friend instead of at the family home in West Hills, but Evan Smith tweeted last month that his father had left the family.

"Thoughts and prayers out to my amazing Mom and bros plz," the he wrote in an April 14 message. "My dad decided to leave the family last nite. Real family sticks together."

The tweet has since been deleted, but Evan Smith told E! News his parents were not separated.

"They were just going through normal stuff couples go through," he said.

Evan Smith told The Times his family was "devastated" by his father's disappearance but was "staying strong." They've created a website, findgavinsmith.com, to help coordinate search efforts.

Smith is 6 feet 6, weighs 210 pounds and has a goatee and gray hair streaked with blond. He was last seen in his black 2000 Mercedes 420-E with California license plate 6EKT044.

Investigators are asking that anyone with information call (323) 890-5500.

ALSO:

SWAT officers respond to two Westside incidents

Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus to be sentenced in woman's slaying

Mom has unlawful sex, baby with daughter's boyfriend, 16, police say

— Kate Mather (twitter.com/katemather) and Andrew Blankstein (twitter.com/anblanx)

Photo: Gavin Smith Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

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Ex-LAPD Det. Stephanie Lazarus to be sentenced in woman's slaying

Fri, 11 May 2012 07:11:57 -0700

Former Los Angeles Police Det. Stephanie Lazarus is due in court Friday morning to be sentenced to life with the possibility of parole in the slaying of her ex-boyfriend's wife 26 years ago, an act authorities said was motivated by jealously and heartbreak.

Prosecutors are asking Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry to sentence Lazarus to at least 27 years behind bars before she is eligible for parole. But state corrections officials told The Times in March that an inmate convicted of a similar crime with the sentencing guidelines of that era could be parole eligible in 14 years.

Lazarus was convicted in March of killing Sherri Rae Rasmussen, who was shot three times in the chest in her Van Nuys town home on Feb. 24, 1986. Three months before the attack, Rasmussen, a 29-year-old hospital nursing director, had married John Ruetten, who had dated Lazarus casually for a few years before the wedding.

The case garnered national attention for its sensational story line of a love-lorn cop killing a woman she viewed as a romantic rival and then for decades, harboring the dark secret. Adding to the drama, detectives ignored pleas by Rasmussen's father at the time of the killing to look at Lazarus as a possible suspect.

Instead, investigators stuck to their early theory that Rasmussen must have been killed by unidentified Latino male suspects during a botched burglary. That theory eventually would be proven wrong by DNA in a saliva sample gathered from a bite mark on the victim’s left forearm. But it would take a generation, a revolution in forensics technology and a second LAPD investigation before Lazarus, who had become a respected art theft detective, emerged as the prime suspect in the case.

Rasmussen family attorney John C. Taylor, who praised the work of current LAPD detectives, said in March that the family would address the handling of the original police investigation. Before Lazarus is sentenced, Rasmussen’s mother, at least one of the sisters and a family friend are expected to address the court.

The case against Lazarus came down to "A bite, a bullet, a gun barrel and a broken heart,” Deputy District Attorney Shannon Presby said in his opening statement. Presby and co-counsel Paul Nunez sought to hammer home those points throughout the five-week trial, which collectively included more than 60 witnesses and 400 exhibits from the state and the defense.

Defense attorney Mark Overland countered prosecutors by repeatedly questioning the integrity of the DNA bite mark evidence--arguing its vial was not properly sealed and the envelope containing the sample was ripped.

He also noted that a blood smear from an unidentified male was analyzed for DNA and did not match either the blood of Lazarus or Rasmussen, suggesting the possibility of another suspect.

In cross examination, Overland tried to show his client was not the obsessed, jilted lover, portrayed by prosecutors. In fact, Overland said, her former boyfriend Ruetten continued to pursue Lazarus after becoming engaged.

In the end, the DNA evidence proved too difficult to overcome. After little more than a day of deliberation, the panel of eight women and four men found Lazarus guilty of first-degree murder.

ALSO:

SWAT officers respond to two Westside incidents

Disappearance of Fox executive not a homicide case, sheriff says

Carmageddon II: Drivers, officials prepare for ramp closures on 405

-- Andrew Blankstein (Twitter.com/anblanx)

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

Fullerton police fatally shoot gunman after chase

Fri, 11 May 2012 05:15:23 -0700

Fullerton police shot and killed a man late Thursday who allegedly shot at them after a short chase in a car and then on foot, police said.

The deceased man's name was not immediately available. A passenger in the car was treated for minor injuries, police said. No officers were hurt in the incident.

Officers tried to pull over the car near Euclid Street and Wilshire Avenue for a minor violation about 11:15 p.m. Thursday.

The car sped off, ignoring the patrol car’s lights and sirens, police said. After a little more than a mile, the driver attempted a turn at Gilbert Street and Malvern Avenue and lost control of his car. The car crashed through a fence and into a drainage canal some 20 feet below, police said.

One occupant of the vehicle ran off and hid in a drainage tunnel, police said. As officers searched for him, he reappeared, armed with a gun and allegedly fired at the officers. They returned gunfire, striking him.

Paramedics tried to revive him, but he died at the scene, police said. A gun was recovered at the scene.

As is usual with officer-involved shootings, the case was referred to the Orange County district attorney’s office, which will investigate.

The shooting comes after two Fullerton police officers were ordered earlier this week to stand trial for murder in the beating death of Kelly Thomas, a transient, in July.

ALSO:

Shaquille O’Neal endorses Carmen Trutanich for D.A.

Jury to decide whether football star’s killer should get death

Steve Lopez: Clooney's Obama party full of 'Hollywood hypocrites'

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

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Carmen Trutanich hazy on details of gang attack, but his campaign is not

With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond

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SWAT officers respond to two Westside incidents

Fri, 11 May 2012 04:16:42 -0700

By 3 a.m. Friday, Los Angeles Police Department SWAT officers had already had a hectic night, with call-outs to deal with barricaded suspects in two Westside neighborhoods, including one in which a man took his girlfriend and two young children hostage, one of them an infant.

The incidents began about 8 p.m., Thursday, when a man attempted to rob a retired police officer in the Wilshire area. The victim, armed with a gun, then chased the robber to a clothing store on Robertson Boulevard near Beverly Boulevard, said LAPD Lt. Darius Bone.

The suspect barricaded himself in the store’s bathroom, and SWAT officers were called out, surrounding the store. After negotiations lasting several hours, the suspect gave himself up, Bone said.

No one was hurt in the incident, "just a lot of police resources" were used, Bone said.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Friday, before SWAT officers had a chance to leave the Robertson call, a call came in from Venice officers needing assistance with a man firing at them from an apartment.

They went to an apartment at 1512 Penmar Ave., where patrol officers had earlier responded to a call of a screaming woman. When patrol officers arrived, they heard gunshots, and believing they were being fired at, called for backup, said Sgt. Richard Parks.

Several patrol cars responded, followed by the SWAT officers from the Robertson scene, as well as an LAPD helicopter, which lit up the street from above.

A standoff lasted about 90 minutes, with the man walking on the balcony and within the room, armed with a handgun, while officers swarmed the area, according to LAPD radio traffic. At one point, he allegedly fired a shot within the apartment.

The suspect finally broke out a window of the apartment, jumped out and began to run across a backyard, Parks said.

At that point "there was an officer-involved shooting," Parks said. The suspect, whose name was not immediately available, was shot in the torso. He was taken into custody and was able to walk from the scene. He is in stable condition at a hospital, Parks said.

A woman and two young children were taken from the apartment unharmed. No officers were hurt in the incident.

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O.C. woman accused of having sex with teenage boy

Thu, 10 May 2012 22:00:35 -0700

A Santa Ana woman is scheduled to be arraigned Friday on charges of having sex with a teenage boy.

Mayra Gonzalez, 32, is accused of having sex with the boy on six occasions from July 1, 2011, to Dec. 24, 2011, the Orange County district attorney's office said. The teen was a friend of a Gonzalez relative.

[Updated 10:11 p.m., May 10: Investigators suspect that Gonzalez gave birth to the teen's baby, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department.]

Gonzalez is charged with six felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor under 16 and two felony counts of oral copulation of a minor under 18.

If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of seven years and eight months in state prison and possible lifetime sex-offender registration. She was being held on $20,000 bail.

Arraignment is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Central Jail in Santa Ana.

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Photo: Mayra Gonzalez. Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

Kendrec McDade shot 7 times by Pasadena officers, autopsy shows

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:48:54 -0700

Kendrec McDade was shot seven times by Pasadena police officers on March 24, according to a summary of the autopsy released Thursday by Pasadena police.

Three of the wounds -- two in his abdomen and one in his right arm -- are considered potentially fatal because they struck and lacerated arteries, according to Pasadena police.

The autopsy found that no shots hit McDade in the back, according to the statement.

Pasadena Lt. Phlunte Riddle said the first officer who fired did so while seated inside the patrol car when McDade approached the car with his hand at his waistband.

After he was shot, authorities determined that McDade was unarmed and that the theft victim had lied about his assailants having weapons in order to get a quicker response from police.

The shooting has prompted four separate inquiries, which are ongoing.

The Pasadena Police Department requested the release of the autopsy report from the Los Angeles County coroner's office on Thursday afternoon. Coroner's officials were not immediately available to release the report, said coroner’s Lt. Cheryl MacWillie. The Pasadena Police Department received a copy of the autopsy report Wednesday.

In a federal lawsuit, McDade’s parents, Anya Slaughter and Kenneth McDade, allege their son was shot multiple times in the chest but did not die immediately. McDade tried to speak with the officer, but was handcuffed and started to "twitch" and was left on the street for a prolonged period of time without receiving first aid, according to the suit.

The Pasadena police report issued Thursday did not address that issue.

911 caller's lie led to shooting of college student, police allege

Pasadena police shooting: Man tells 911 operator he was robbed

-- Adolfo Flores and Joe Piasecki, Times Community News

Twitter: @AdolfoFlores3, @joepiasecki

Photo: Kendrec McDade. Credit: Times Community News

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Third person arrested in killing of Marine's wife

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:39:43 -0700

A third person was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of involvement in the death of 22-year-old Brittany Dawn Killgore, the wife of a Marine at Camp Pendleton.

Dorothy Grace Marie Maraglino, 36, was arrested in a hotel in downtown San Diego by San Diego County Sheriff's Department homicide detectives and Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents.

Investigators declined to reveal what role they believe Maraglino may have played. Like Perez, Lopez and Killgore, Maraglino lived in Fallbrook.

Killgore's blood was found in Perez's vehicle, along with a weapon, prosecutors have said. Lopez was arrested in a San Diego motel April 17 after attempting suicide; hours after her arrest, Killgore's body was located.

Killgore had been set to attend a dinner cruise in San Diego with Perez and his girlfriend on April 13 but instead sent a text message to a friend saying she was in "distress" and needed help. Perez was the last person seen with Killgore.

He and Perez served at Camp Pendleton.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Brittany Dawn Killgore. Credit: San Diego County Sheriff's Department

Rialto police officer held on suspicion of child sex abuse

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:26:05 -0700

A Rialto police officer was arrested on suspicion of engaging in sex acts with an underage female, authorities said Thursday night.

Theodore Fernandes, 50, was arrested by Fontana police and was being held on $2-million bail, authorities said.

The alleged victim is now an adult. Authorities became aware of the accusations in February, the Fontana Police Department said in a statement.

Police said investigators do not believe there are additional victims.

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Photo: Theodore Fernandes. Credit: Fontana Police Department

Deputy kicks fellow deputy in groin while being booked at jail

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:43:20 -0700

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy arrested last year on suspicion of assaulting fellow deputies has been accused of kicking another deputy in the groin this week, authorities said.

The latest incident came after Sheriff’s Department officials arrested Deputy Adrienne Myers, 36, on suspicion of making threats against a former friend, an official said. Myers was being booked into a jail facility when she allegedly lashed out. She was restrained soon after the groin kick, authorities said.

In October, Myers was arrested in connection with a morning brawl between three deputies at a La Mirada park; authorities were called after gunshots were fired. Deputies arrived to find their three colleagues bloodied and apparently drunk, an official said.

Myers and the two other deputies were on their way home after being out at a bar when an argument erupted between Myers and Deputy Judith Gonzalez. The argument allegedly turned physical and spilled out of the car.

Eventually, Myers stopped fighting Gonzalez and began fighting with the third deputy, an official said. Gonzalez allegedly left to get her gun from the car. As Myers fought the third deputy, Gonzalez fired her weapon, the official said. No one was hit, according to the official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the case with the media.

Gonzalez was arrested on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon and Myers on suspicion of felony battery.

Myers has been on paid leave since the park incident, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Whitmore confirmed.

She was arrested again Tuesday night on suspicion of making criminal threats. She was being booked into Century Regional Detention Facility a few hours later. While she was handcuffed and being escorted to a booking cell, she allegedly kicked a deputy in the groin without provocation, officials said.

That deputy was not injured, Whitmore said, but Myers is now suspected of battery on a peace officer.

The deputy who was kicked worked at the Norwalk sheriff’s station, where Myers used to work, an official said.

Myers declined comment through Whitmore. Gonzalez could not be reached for comment.

“Obviously, we take this very seriously,” Whitmore said. “The investigation will move forward, and the appropriate action will be taken.”

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-- Robert Faturechi

twitter.com/RobertFaturechi

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Family praying for missing Fox movie executive's return

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:04:26 -0700

On May 1, Gavin Smith disappeared.

After returning from a Las Vegas conference, the longtime 20th Century Fox executive -– who distributed such hits as “Titanic” and “Avatar” -- inexplicably missed a school pick-up for his teenage son.

His Mercedes is missing along with him. His family was unable to locate him either through his cellphone or credit card billings.

That was May 1. Since then, authorities and his family have been unable to locate him. This week, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department intensified their search, but detectives said they have no solid leads.

“We’re praying and hoping for the best,” Smith’s eldest son, Evan, said on Thursday. “It’s all in God’s hands.”

Authorities stressed that they have no evidence of foul play.

“It’s an adult missing persons case, not a homicide,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Wes Sutton. “At this point, there’s nothing criminal [related] to his disappearance.”

Sutton said information on Smith has been distributed within the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and that his vehicle information has been included in a missing vehicle database should another police agency find it.

In addition, sheriff’s officials have distributed fliers and embarked on a campaign through the media to reach out to the public for help.

“We’re getting lots of tips,” Sutton said, but detectives still don’t have any firm sense of what happened.

In media interviews this week, Smith’s family has provided some insight into the circumstances leading up the night he vanished. Gavin Smith was staying with a friend near Ventura County’s Oak Park neighborhood but drove away in his Mercedes between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. without telling anyone -- another puzzling move, his family said.

Wearing a pair of purple athletic pants belonging to one of his sons, Smith left behind his cellphone charger, shaving kit and other items.

“That’s what he was wearing, you know?” Evan Smith told “Good Morning America” in an interview. “It doesn’t sound like he was going anywhere.”

Smith’s family said he hasn’t been to his Calabasas office since he went missing. They declined to elaborate why he was staying with the friend instead of their home in West Hills, but Evan Smith tweeted last month that his father had left the family.

“Thoughts and prayers out to my amazing Mom and bros plz,” the USC basketball player wrote in an April 14 message. “My dad decided to leave the family last nite. Real family sticks together.”

The tweet has since been deleted, but Evan Smith told E! News his parents were not separated.
“They were just going through normal stuff couples go through,” he said.

Evan Smith told The Times his family was “devastated” by his father’s disappearance but was “staying strong.” They’ve created a website, findgavinsmith.com, to help coordinate search efforts.

Smith is 6-foot-6, weighs 210 pounds, has gray hair streaked with blond and a goatee. He was last seen in his black 2000 Mercedes 420-E with California license plate 6EKT044.

Investigators ask anyone with information to call (323) 890-5500.

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FBI selects counterterrorism executive to lead L.A. division

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:19:33 -0700

This post has been clarified. See the note at the bottom for details.

A veteran agent who has been involved in wide-ranging investigations from counterterrorism to a CIA leak scandal has been appointed as the new head of the FBI in Los Angeles, the bureau announced Thursday.

Ralph S. Boelter, a native of Wisconsin, has been an agent since July 1991 and most recently served as assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division at headquarters, according to an FBI news release.

He has also served as special agent in charge in Minneapolis, where he oversaw the case of Somali American youth recruited by terrorist groups and a $3.6-billion corporate fraud case. He also previously supervised violent crime and criminal enterprise investigations in Long Beach and Los Angeles.

As an agent, Boelter investigated white-collar and violent crime and criminal enterprise in Boston, and oversaw violent crime and fugitive investigations out of FBI headquarters.

In 2005, he was assigned to help direct the investigation into the leak of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity.

Boelter replaces outgoing assistant director in charge Steven M. Martinez, who has been appointed executive assistant director of the Science and Technology Branch at FBI headquarters. Martinez was appointed to head the Los Angeles bureau in late 2009.

Boelter, who is married with one daughter, will assume his new post by the end of summer, a bureau spokeswoman said.

For the record, 9:45 p.m., May 10: A previous version of this post misstated the time by which Boelter will assume his post.

U.S. Says 8 lured Somali terror recruits

Fugitive rapist returns to a waiting prison cell

-- Victoria Kim

Photo: Ralph Boelter. Credit: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Attorney, retired professor accused of defrauding tribe

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:25:52 -0700

An attorney for the Twentynine Palms Band of Mission Indians and a retired Claremont McKenna College professor are among four people who have been indicted on federal bribery and money laundering charges, the U.S. attorney's office said Thursday.

Prosecutors allege that the defendants deprived the tribe of honest leadership and took advantage of their positions of trust by lining their own pockets with the tribe’s money, including government funding designated for necessary services.

The 48-count indictment, handed down Wednesday, is the result of a joint FBI and IRS investigation.

Those named are Gary Edward Kovall, 66, a Minnesota-based attorney who acted as legal counsel for the tribe; David Alan Heslop, 74, of Templeton, Calif.; Paul Phillip Bardos, 57, of Rancho Cucamonga, a general contractor; and Peggy Anne Shambaugh, 56, of Ely, Minnesota, who is Kovall’s wife.

The four will appear in United States District Court in Los Angeles on Friday.

According to the indictment, Kovall advised the tribe to create a limited liability company to purchase real estate, and then convinced them to hire Heslop as the company’s manager.

Heslop is the former director of the Rose Institute and was a Claremont McKenna professor, according Asst. U.S. Atty. Joseph N. Akrotirianakis. Heslop was appointed in the 1980s to the National Council on Education Research by President Reagan.

Kovall and Heslop recommended that the tribe hire Bardos to act as the tribe’s “owner’s representative” in several construction projects at the Spotlight 29 Casino, according to the indictment.

After he was hired by the tribe, he paid kickbacks to Heslop who, in turn, paid kickbacks to Kovall, prosecutors allege.

The indictment alleges that in 2007 Bardos paid Heslop more than $186,577, most of which was then funneled to Shambaugh.

"The United States attorney’s office is committed to the prosecution of corruption and fraud in all of their guises," said U.S. Atty. André Birotte Jr. "This case demonstrates that our commitment extends to vigorously pursuing cases against unscrupulous individuals who abuse their positions to take advantage of Native American tribes."

The indictment charges all four defendants with conspiracy. Kovall, Bardos and Shambaugh are also charged with multiple counts of bribery and money laundering.

If convicted of all charges, Kovall faces up to 75 years in federal prison and a $2-million fine; Heslop faces 225 years in federal prison and a $5.75-million fine; Bardos faces 155 years in federal prison and a $4-million fine; and Shambaugh faces 105 years in federal prison and a fine of $2.75-million.

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Report of shots fired in South Los Angeles leads to LAPD shooting

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:56:00 -0700

Los Angeles police responding to a "shots fired" call Thursday afternoon in South Los Angeles became involved in an officer-involved shooting, authorities said.

No officers were reported injured in the incident, which occurred about 2:30 p.m. in the 800 block of West 70th Street, said LAPD spokeswoman Karen Rayner.

It was not immediately clear if any of several reported suspects were wounded as a result of the shooting, Rayner said. Police did not say how many shots were fired by officers or give the exact sequence of events leading to the shooting.

At least one suspect, who was not identified, was arrested in connection with the shooting.

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-- Andrew Blankstein

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Photo: Map shows approximate location of incident in black. Credit: Los Angeles Times / Mapping LA

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Episcopal Church is rightful owner of properties, court rules

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:41:39 -0700

An Orange County Superior Court judge on Thursday ruled in favor of the Episcopal Church in its long-running legal dispute over the rightful ownership of the properties of two congregations that seceded from the church years ago.

Judge Kim Dunning granted a motion for summary judgment filed by the Episcopal Church in its cases against St. David's Anglican Church in North Hollywood and All Saints Anglican Church in Long Beach, declaring the church properties were held in trust for the diocese and national church.

St. David's and All Saints left the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the national church in 2004 because of differences over biblical interpretations and liberal views on homosexuality and other issues.

After the churches left, the diocese sued to retain its property.

The California Supreme Court in 2009 ruled in favor of the Los Angeles diocese in its battle against St. James in Newport Beach, stating that the property was held in trust for the diocese and national church.

Though deeds showed St. James owned its property, the congregation had agreed to be part of the national church and was bound by its rules, the court said. The Episcopal Church in 1979 adopted a rule making clear that local parishes owned their properties only as long as they remained within the larger church body.

In filing its motion for summary judgment in the cases involving St. David's and All Saints, the Episcopal Church contended that a ruling should be issued based on the 2009 Supreme Court decision, said John Shiner, lead counsel for the diocese.

"I was very pleased with the ruling today," Shiner said. "The court followed the precedent set by the California Supreme Court and other appellate decisions, which we have always felt are relevant to our current disputes."

Father Jose Poch, a priest at St. David's, said he believes the local congregations still have a case.

"The Episcopal Church has never put one penny in this building, not one single penny," he said. "The deed is in our name, the corporation is in our name, the bylaws are in our name."

Poch's congregation "is going to trust the Lord through it all," he said. "We're going to continue preaching the Gospel. We're going to continue being what we've always been, but we're hoping for justice."

Congregants at St. David's have been worried about the fate of the memorial rose garden, where ashes of 17 people are buried.

The court scheduled a conference for next month in which the parties will return to the court and discuss how to proceed with the property issues, Shiner said.

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-- Hailey Branson-Potts

Photo: The ashes of Bill Coburn's wife, Marian, are buried at St. David's Anglican Church in North Hollywood. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

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Body on Angeles Crest Highway is not missing Fox executive

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:14:35 -0700

<&&&&&&&&&&&&>
The body of man found early Thursday on the side of Angeles Crest Highway is not that of a missing 20th Century Fox executive, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials say.

The highway was closed about three miles north of the 210 Freeway, at the 27.5-mile marker, about 6:20 a.m. to investigate. The thoroughfare is expected to reopen at 3:30 p.m.

The Sheriff’s Department said the body is not that of 57-year-old Gavin Smith, who was last seen the night of May 1 near his Oak Park home. That investigation, authorities emphasized, is being treated as a missing person's case, not a homicide.

Department officials said Thursday they have added more detectives and other resources to the search for Smith, a member of UCLA’s 1975 championship basketball team who has worked in Fox’s movie distribution department for almost 18 years.

His sons — Austin, Dylan and Evan — told “Inside Edition” on Thursday they are worried their father had accidentally driven off the road along one of the canyons near their home.

“The problem here is that time is of the essence in these things,” Evan Smith said.

He added: “My gut feeling is that he is out there and we just have to go find him.”

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Shaquille O’Neal endorses Carmen Trutanich for D.A.

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:53:03 -0700

Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal has thrown his support behind Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich in the race to become the county's next district attorney.

Trutanich's campaign said the former Lakers player's message will be played in phone calls to voters starting today. The script echoes O'Neal's endorsement of Trutanich in the 2009 election for city attorney.

In the 35 second robocall, O'Neal, who has worked as a reserve law enforcement officer, urges voters to support Trutanich, saying the city attorney "wants to prevent crime by providing more after-school, job-training and apprenticeship programs."

"Trust me," O'Neal says. "I don’t get involved in politics very often. But, as a father and police officer, when it comes to our kids, I’m going to get involved."

Trutanich is one of six candidates running for district attorney in the June 5 election. The other candidates include L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. John L. Breault III; Deputy Dist. Atty. Bobby Grace; Deputy Dist. Atty. Alan Jackson; Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey; and Deputy Dist. Atty. Danette Meyers.

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-- Jack Leonard

Photo: Carmen Trutanich. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

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Brea landfill search fails to find bodies of missing boys

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:48:36 -0700

Police have ended their search of an Orange County landfill for the bodies of two babies allegedly killed by their father.

Using cadaver dogs, investigators combed a Brea landfill for several days in search of the remains of Shazer Fernando Limas’ two sons. He is accused in their deaths, and the landfill was searched on the theory that he may have disposed of their bodies in his apartment dumpster.

Investigators found nothing, said Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department.

Limas, 31, was charged Monday with three counts of murder with special enhancements in the stabbing deaths of the boys and his girlfriend, Arlet Hernandez Contreras, 31. Her body was found late last month in a La Puente gutter.

Authorities say the slayings took place in the family’s Orange apartment April 14, the day before Limas went to a Long Beach hospital for treatment of a cut on his hand. Two weeks later, when he moved out, cleaning crews discovered blood in the unit and contacted police.

Limas was arrested last week after leading police on a high-speed chase. He was paying child support to several women and was ordered in March to also start paying Contreras $284 a month in child support, according to court records.

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Jury to decide whether football star’s killer should get death

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:38:56 -0700

<&&&&>

Jurors deliberated barely half a day Wednesday before returning a guilty verdict against a gang member accused of killing a Los Angeles High School football star. Now, they must decide whether Pedro Espinoza, 23, should receive the death penalty.

The penalty phase will begin next week.

Prosecutors say that Espinoza shot 17-year-old Jamiel Shaw in the belief that he was a Bloods gang member because he was a black man wearing a red backpack.

Shaw was shot three doors down from his Arlington Heights home in March 2008 as he was walking back from a friend's house after a day of shopping at the mall.

Espinoza, who had been released from custody just 28 hours earlier, asked Shaw, "Where are you from?" before shooting into his abdomen, then again into his head in an execution-like manner, prosecutors contended. Driving away from the scene, he boasted to a fellow 18th Street gang member, "I'm a killer," according to testimony.

Shaw "was targeted for no other reason than the color of his skin and the color of his backpack," Deputy Dist. Atty. Allyson Ostrowski told jurors in closing arguments this week.

The defense called the prosecution's case weak, citing inconsistent witness testimony about the shooter's attire and the absence of a murder weapon.

"There's supposition, conjecture, guessing — there's no proof," defense attorney Csaba Palfi told jurors, responding to a prosecutor's contention that Espinoza had probably passed off the gun to another gang member.

But the jury did not support the defense's position, finding Espinoza guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday.

Shaw's family sought unsuccessfully to qualify a city ballot initiative — called "Jamiel's Law" — that would have allowed police to arrest known gang members who are in the country illegally, even if they are not accused of another crime. After the verdict Wednesday, Shaw's family said they wanted Espinoza to be executed.

"We want the death penalty bad. We want to set a precedent," said the victim's father, Jamiel Shaw Sr.

The senior Shaw said that in the years leading up to trial, his son was subject to a "smear campaign" by defense attorneys trying to portray him as a gang member rather than an innocent casualty of gang violence. His family says Shaw was not involved in gangs.

"He knew where he was going, he knew he had a future, he knew he was loved," his father said.

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Mystery deepens in disappearance of Hollywood exec Gavin Smith

Thu, 10 May 2012 13:31:33 -0700

Ten days after a 20th Century Fox executive vanished from a friend's home west of the San Fernando Valley, questions continued to surround Gavin Smith's disappearance.

The 57-year-old, who works in distributon for Fox, was reported missing by his family May 1 after he failed to pick up one of his sons for school.

His family declined to say why Smith was staying at a friend's house, but on Thursday, E! News reported that Smith’s eldest son, Evan, said last month his father had left the family.

"Thoughts and prayers out to my amazing Mom and bros plz," the USC basketball player wrote in an April 14 message, according to E! "My dad decided to leave the family last nite. Real family sticks together."

The tweet has since been deleted, but Evan Smith told E! his parents were not separated.

“They were just going through normal stuff couples go through,” he said.

Evan Smith told The Times on Thursday morning that his family was “devastated” by his father’s disappearance.

“We’re staying strong as a family unit,” he said. “We’re praying and hoping for the best. It’s all in God’s hands.”

Authorities said that for now the disappearance remains classified as a missing persons case.

“It’s an adult missing persons case, not a homicide,” said sheriff’s Homicide Bureau Lt. Wes Sutton, noting that missing persons investigators are assigned within his bureau. “At this point, there’s nothing criminal [related] to his disappearance.”

Sutton said the department has added extra resources to the investigation, but there is still “nothing substantial” in the way of significant clues to solve the mystery of what happened to the movie executive.

In addition, sheriff’s officials have distributed fliers and embarked on a campaign through the media to reach out to the public for help.

“We’re getting lots of tips,” Sutton said.

Gavin Smith is 6-foot-6, weighs 210 pounds, has gray hair streaked with blond and has a goatee. He was last seen in his black 2000 Mercedes 420-E with California license plate 6EKT044. He was wearing purple pants.

Investigators ask anyone with information to call detectives at (323) 890-5500.

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Missing Fox executive's sons vow to search 'until we find him'

Pasadena police are ‘lawless gang,’ shooting victim’s family alleges

'Starmageddon': George Clooney's Obama event brings money, traffic

— Kate Mather (twitter.com/katemather) and Andrew Blankstein (twitter.com/anblanx)

Evan Smith told The Times Thursday morning that his family was “devastated” by his father’s disappearance.

“We’re staying strong as a family unit,” he said. “We’re praying and hoping for the best. It’s all in God’s hands.”

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Violations found at several Huntington Beach massage parlors

Thu, 10 May 2012 13:29:13 -0700

Recent inspections of 20 massage parlors in Huntington Beach uncovered 71 municipal code and building safety violations, and at least three parlors are facing temporary closure.

The May 5 inspections were part of an ongoing investigation regarding allegations of prostitution and human trafficking, according to a report posted on the Huntington Beach Police Department's Facebook page. The social media posting was confirmed by Police Chief Ken Small.

No arrests were made for prostitution or trafficking.

"Everybody knows that trafficking is taking place," Small said, adding that it's often difficult to get victims to cooperate with police out of fear of retaliation.

Women involved in prostitution at massage parlors are often forced into it as a way to pay off the debt they owe to those who brought them to the United States, he said.

Employees performing massages with customers' genitalia exposed were among the violations noted during the inspections, as were masseurs and businesses operating without proper licenses.

Initiated by residents' complaints, and an increase in the number of parlors throughout the city, the inspections were conducted by the Police Department with assistance from the city's code enforcement program, building and safety department, the city Fire Department, and the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, Small said.

Since 2009, when state legislation loosened the grip of local law regulations on massage parlors, Huntington Beach has seen more than a 500% increase in such businesses.

An undercover investigation of three parlors prior to the recent inspections resulted in the arrest of five female employees for prostitution and related crimes, Small said.

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Missing Fox executive's sons vow to search 'until we find him'

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--Mona Shadia, Times Community News

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Angeles Crest Highway closure extended after body discovered

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:09:23 -0700

Angeles Crest Highway remained closed Thursday morning as sheriff’s homicide detectives investigated the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a man’s body on the side of the road.

The highway was closed about three miles north of the 210 Freeway, at the 27.5 mile marker, about 6:20 a.m. Officials originally said it would be closed for four hours but are now saying it will reopen at 3:30 p.m.

The highway is a frequently used route between the L.A. basin and the Antelope Valley.

No further details were available from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

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-- Kim Christensen

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Angeles Crest Highway remains closed after body is discovered

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:20:28 -0700

Angeles Crest Highway remained closed Thursday morning as homicide detectives investigated the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a man’s body along the road.

The highway, about three miles north of the 210 Freeway, was closed about 6:20 a.m. at the 27.5 mile marker and was scheduled to reopen four hours later, the California Highway Patrol said.

Sheriff’s officials have not released any other details.

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Kelly Thomas: 2nd degree murder difficult to prove, experts say

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:13:26 -0700

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Legal experts said it was unsurprising that the officers charged in Kelly Thomas' death were held to answer on all counts, because the burden of proof at a preliminary hearing is extremely low.

The outcome at trial will be much more of a wildcard, particularly because of the unusual nature of the second-degree murder charge against Officer Manuel Ramos.

"In other cases, you typically have the officer using deadly force," said Ira Salzman, a Pasadena-based attorney who has defended police officers.

VIDEO: Kelly Thomas beating

In this case, the basis of the charge against Ramos is threatening gestures and the inflammatory statement "See these fists? They're getting ready to [mess] you up?" Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas argued that Ramos' actions goaded Thomas into a fight-or-flight reaction and "turned a routine encounter into a brutal beating death."

Salzman said the fact that the charge is based on Ramos' behavior leading up to the violent confrontation, not on his physical use of force, could make the murder charge more difficult to prove, but that jury instructions could be set up to assist the prosecution.

Jody Armour, a USC law professor who studies racial profiling and excessive force cases, agreed that the case against Ramos may be charting new territory.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

"This is really unusual," he said. "This is a prosecution believing it has facts to support a difficult charge to prove."

Both Armour and Salzman said the video evidence in the Kelly Thomas case, although it has drawn a visceral reaction from the public, does not necessarily mean a jury is more likely to convict if the case goes to trial. Armour pointed to the Rodney King case, in which a jury acquitted the officers despite video evidence.

The Thomas case, he said, will be in some sense a test case for "how far we've come."

"It's going to get at a lot of issues that are roiling right under the surface of police conduct cases," he said.

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Missing Fox executive's sons vow to search 'until we find him'

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:28:46 -0700

The three sons of a missing 20th Century Fox executive said they would continue to search for their father and would “not stop until we find him.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has added more detectives and other resources to the search for 57-year-old Gavin Smith, who was last seen the night of May 1 near his Oak Park home in the 500 block of Callwood Court.

Smith, a member of UCLA’s 1975 championship basketball team, has worked in Fox studio’s movie distribution department for almost 18 years.

His sons — Austin, Dylan and Evan — told “Inside Edition” on Thursday they worried their father had accidentally driven off the road along one of the canyons near their home.

“The problem here is that time is of the essence in these things,” Evan Smith said. “My gut feeling is that he is out there and we just have to go find him.”

ABC News reported Gavin Smith was staying with family friends the night he disappeared. His family said it was not only unusual that he left without warning, but he didn’t take his cellphone charger, shaving kit or other belongings.

Austin and Dylan Smith both directed emotional messages at their father during the interview.

“Life’s not the same without you, and I don’t know what I’m going to do without you in my life,” Dylan Smith said.

“He has a family waiting for him and it’s not going to be the same world without him,” Austin Smith said. “We love him so much.”

The family has created a website, www.findgavinsmith.com, to help coordinate search efforts. Evan Smith, who plays basketball at USC, tweeted frequently after his father’s disappearance.

“I just know that if any of us were missing, my dad would not stop looking for us,” he told “Inside Edition.” “So we’re not going to stop until we find him.”

Gavin Smith is 6-foot-6, weighs 210 pounds, has gray hair streaked with blond and has a goatee. He was last seen in his black 2000 Mercedes 420 E with California license plate 6EKT044. He was wearing purple pants.

Investigators ask anyone with information to call detectives at (323) 890-5500.

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— Kate Mather

twitter.com/katemather

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Pasadena police are ‘lawless gang,’ shooting victim’s family alleges

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:10:48 -0700

The family of Kendrec McDade, the unarmed 19-year-old fatally shot by Pasadena Police, accused officers of being "Keystone cops" and a "lawless gang" who believed they could get away with anything, according to court papers filed this week.

The allegations were contained in amendments to a lawsuit filed by the family against the Pasadena Police Department.

The lawsuit, originally filed April 3, seeks compensation for the wrongful death of McDade. It also claims civil rights violations by several Pasadena police officers.

McDade was fatally shot March 24 by Pasadena police officers responding to a robbery call. Although a 911 caller had reported being robbed by a man with a gun, police later discovered McDade was unarmed.

In Tuesday's amended pleading, attorney Caree Harper offers new details of the shooting, stating the patrol car being driven by Officer Jeff Newlen or Mathew Griffin was going backward with the driver's side door open "at a rapid rate of speed" at the time officers encountered McDade, the Pasadena Sun reported. The court papers say a couple walking in the area saw the car moving backward and the husband said to his wife, "I think they are going to shoot that guy."

The document does not indicate that the couple witnessed the shooting.

The complaint adds a new name, Pasadena Police Lt. Phlunte Riddle, to the list of defendants. The lawsuit asserts Riddle has made false statements in explaining the case to the public and the media.

In an interview Tuesday, Riddle said, "I have not had an opportunity to review that amended complaint, but I at no time would misrepresent any information. My statements have been accurate based on the information that I have obtained from the investigation."

Riddle declined to comment on the assertion the patrol car was moving backward at a rapid pace, saying, "That's part of the investigation that will be revealed at its conclusion."

Riddle said officers canvassed the area in an effort to find witnesses to the shooting but did not identify eyewitnesses.

"I have not personally been updated on any additional witnesses, but that doesn't mean they are not out there or that they don't exist," he said.

Several probes of the shooting are ongoing, from the Pasadena police investigation to a review by the FBI. Riddle has said it will take several months for the investigation to wrap up.

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-- Bill Kisliuk, Times Community News

Photo: A memorial for Kendrec McDade, who was shot and killed by Pasadena police. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

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'Starmageddon': George Clooney's Obama event brings money, traffic

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:04:19 -0700

Unlike previous visits to L.A., President Obama's fundraiser Thursday night at George Clooney's home — an event dubbed by some as "Starmageddon" — is expected to impact traffic only in certain areas of the city.

Although details of his route have not been released for security reasons, officials said he will fly into LAX and then be taken by helicopter before driving to Clooney's Studio City residence. Obama's dinner fundraiser is expected to gross $15 million for the president's reelection campaign, according to organizers.

Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian released the following details about potential traffic tie-ups:

"For security reasons, the White House does not disclose exact details about the president's route, but here's what we do know: The president will be landing at LAX around 6 p.m. and will be transported, via helicopter and motorcade, to George Clooney's home, where the fundraiser will be held," he wrote.

He added that while neither Laurel Canyon nor Ventura boulevards are expected to be fully shut down, there will probably be delays. Other roads in the area might be closed, notably those around Fryman Canyon.

"For those driving on Laurel Canyon Boulevard and connecting streets north of Ventura Boulevard, please expect delays and/or road closures from about 5 to 8 p.m. If you live south of Ventura in Studio City, the LAPD has advised us that local access to the area will be virtually sealed off from about 8 to 10 p.m., meaning all local residents will need to show a current photo ID for home access," he wrote in the letter.

After the event, Obama will be spending the night in Beverly Hills.

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Obama's support of gay marriage draws joy, disbelief in California

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— Robert J. Lopez and Shelby Grad

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: President Obama talks with actor George Clooney outside the Oval Office in 2010. Credit: Pete Souza / The White House

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Ex-Glendale councilman John Drayman released from jail

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:41:11 -0700

Former Glendale City Councilman John Drayman, indicted on embezzlement charges, has been released from jail after his supporters agreed to pay a $16,000 bond.

Drayman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges in a 28-count grand jury indictment that allege he used his position with the Montrose Shopping Park Assn. and the Harvest Market to embezzle between $304,000 and $880,000 over roughly seven years. He was released Wednesday afternoon.

His attorney, Michael Kraut, called the grand jury process unfair and pledged to reveal the true story of the missing funds during the trial, the Glendale News-Press reported.

"Grand jury doesn't get to the truth of the matter," he said. "Cross examination is the true seeker of justice."

Kraut contended that others, whom he declined to identify, were responsible for the embezzlement.

"[Drayman] has been waiting for his time to finally say what happened in this case," Kraut said.

The decision by Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg on Tuesday to allow Glendale residents Sharon and Robert Thompson and Sharon and Bill Weisman to front the cash for Drayman's bond came after an extensive bail hearing that lasted much of the day.

Drayman — who was remanded into custody Tuesday after being indicted on embezzlement, money laundering, forgery and other charges — appeared in court handcuffed and in a blue Los Angeles County jail jumpsuit.

Schnegg declined to release Drayman on Tuesday without first verifying that the bail money was from legitimate sources.

"All the money I have was given out of my funds," Robert Thompson said in court after being asked about origin of his financial contribution.

The Weismans kicked in a $10,000 check, while the Thompsons contributed $6,000 for the bond. The Weismans also put up a home they own as collateral for Drayman's release. His bail was set at $200,000.

Drayman is due back in Los Angeles County Superior Court on June 28 for a pretrial hearing.

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-- Veronica Rocha and Jason Wells, Times Community News

Photo: Former Glendale City Councilman John Drayman appears at a bail hearing in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Credit: Raul Roa / Times Community News

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Gang member convicted of murdering Los Angeles High football star

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

His mother said a quiet prayer of thanks. His father dropped his head and rubbed his eyes.

Four years after Los Angeles High School football star Jamiel Shaw II's death, the gang member accused of gunning him down because he was carrying a red Spider-Man backpack was convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder. Jurors deliberated for barely half a day before returning the guilty verdict against Pedro Espinoza, now 23.

The panel found to be true allegations that Espinoza committed the crime in association with a gang and that he personally discharged a firearm. At the end of a separate penalty phase, set to begin next week, jurors will decide whether Espinoza should receive the death penalty.

With hair slicked back and wearing dark-rimmed glasses, Espinoza stared blankly at jurors as the verdict was read, pursing his lips. After they left the courtroom, he glanced back at the spectators and smiled.

The verdict was read after Espinoza's defense attorney, Csaba Palfi, asked the judge to throw out the case, complaining that two jurors had worn red on the last day of trial, which he contended showed bias against his client. Several of Shaw's family members have worn red during the trial, telling reporters it was in protest against Espinoza.

Prosecutors had argued that Espinoza shot the 17-year-old Shaw in the belief that he was a Bloods gang member because he was a black man wearing a red backpack.

Judge Ronald Rose denied the defense's motion, saying the argument was misguided and too late.

"It falls into the trap of the testimony in this case ... that color expresses an opinion, about who they are and what they believe in," Rose said in his ruling. He also pointed out to Palfi: "Your tie is a variation of red today."

Shaw was shot three doors down from his Arlington Heights home in March 2008 as he was walking back from a friend's house after a day of shopping at the mall.

Espinoza, who had been released from custody just 28 hours earlier, asked Shaw, "Where are you from?" before shooting into his abdomen, then again into his head in an execution-like manner, prosecutors contended. Driving away from the scene, he boasted to a fellow 18th Street gang member, "I'm a killer," according to testimony.

Shaw "was targeted for no other reason than the color of his skin and the color of his backpack," Deputy Dist. Atty. Allyson Ostrowski told jurors in closing arguments this week.

The defense called the prosecution's case weak, citing inconsistent witness testimony about the shooter's attire and the absence of a murder weapon.

"There's supposition, conjecture, guessing — there's no proof," Palfi told jurors, responding to a prosecutor's contention that Espinoza had probably passed off the gun to another gang member.

Shaw's slaying touched off an outcry over the Los Angeles Police Department's practices regarding arrestees who are illegal immigrants because Espinoza was in the U.S. illegally.

Shaw's family sought unsuccessfully to qualify a city ballot initiative — called "Jamiel's Law" — that would have allowed police to arrest known gang members who are in the country illegally, even if they are not accused of another crime. After the verdict Wednesday, Shaw's family said they wanted Espinoza to be executed.

"We want the death penalty bad. We want to set a precedent," said the victim's father, Jamiel Shaw Sr.

The senior Shaw said that in the years leading up to trial, his son was subject to a "smear campaign" by defense attorneys trying to portray him as a gang member rather than an innocent casualty of gang violence. His family says Shaw was not involved in gangs.

"He knew where he was going, he knew he had a future, he knew he was loved," his father said.

His grandmother Tommie Shaw recounted how a few days before he was killed, Jamiel asked her for a hug. She was in a rush to leave the house, but he insisted, giving her a hug and a kiss and picking her off the floor as he always did.

That was the last hug she ever received from him.

"No other grandparent should have to go through something like this, because it's not fair," she said Wednesday.

victoria.kim@latimes.com

Two Fullerton officers to stand trial in death of Kelly Thomas

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Following an emotionally charged hearing, an Orange County judge ruled that two Fullerton police officers will stand trial for the death of a mentally ill homeless man who was beaten in a violent confrontation last summer.

The ruling means that Manuel Ramos, 38, could be the first police officer in modern Orange County history to be tried for murder for on-duty actions .

Ramos is charged withsecond-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, will be tried on charges of involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force.

Thomas' death, which came five days after his encounter with six officers at a Fullerton bus depot last July, has rocked the north Orange County city, leading to a mass protest movement, the departure of a police chief and an upcoming recall election against three council members.

Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas, who took the unusual step of personally arguing the prosecution's side at the three-day preliminary hearing, said it was hard to prosecute police officers, but he believed that it was necessary in the Thomas case.

"It's a very bad day in Orange County when we have to charge two police officers with these kinds of terrible crimes," he told Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm.

The district attorney also said he had not ruled out filing charges against additional officers, something the Thomas family and supporters have called for.

Video and audio recordings of the incident were the centerpiece of the prosecution's case and provided a graphic backdrop to the hearing. It was the first time the surveillance video — paired with audio from a recording device worn by one of the officers — was shown.

The video shows Thomas on the ground, screaming, as officers pile on top of him and hit him with fists, a baton and finally the butt of a stun gun.

The murder charge against Ramos hinges not on his use of physical force, but on his actions before the confrontation turned violent.

The video showed Ramos growing visibly frustrated as a shirtless Thomas, sitting on a curb while detained, failed to follow commands to put his legs out in front of him and his hands on his knees.

At one point, Ramos put on a pair of gloves and told Thomas, "See these fists? They're getting ready to f— you up, if you don't f— start listening."

In closing arguments Wednesday, Rackauckas said Ramos' actions "turned a routine encounter into a brutal beating death."

Rackauckas said Ramos' threat goaded Thomas, who had been "a bit of a jerk" but was not struggling with officers at that point, into a fight-or-flight reaction.

Cicinelli, the prosecutor said, "assisted in the killing" by smashing Thomas' face with a stun gun and putting his weight on Thomas. A coroner's pathologist testified Thomas died because chest compression deprived his brain of oxygen and because blood from his facial wounds poured into his lungs.

During the hearing, Rackauckas produced a Taser, smacking it on the podium several times to demonstrate its weight. At another point, he told the court: "You are seeing blood coming off the face of Kelly Thomas splashing up in the air."

Ramos' defense attorney, John Barnett, argued that Thomas was uncooperative and that there was no evidence the officers knew he was mentally ill.

Barnett said the prosecution deliberately skipped over Ramos saying, "if you don't f— start listening" in the infamous "getting ready to f— you up" statement, which Barnett said was meant only as a conditional threat. Barnett said his client was using street language and "Mr. Rackauckas has turned that into murder."

Michael Schwartz, Cicinelli's attorney, said his client acted as any reasonable officer would while trying to subdue a combative subject. Cicinelli, he said, saw two officers struggling with Thomas when he arrived and did not "pile on" but instead tried to pull them apart. Thomas grabbed the officer's Taser hand and Cicinelli struggled to free it, Schwartz said.

The defense attorneys also questioned whether it was the medics who treated Thomas, not the officers, who might have inflicted the fatal injuries while trying to insert a breathing tube.

Barnett said Ramos believes "he is innocent" and insisted that, despite the judge's decision, his client won't face a murder trial. Rackauckas said he is prepared for a dismissal motion and appeals from the defense.

If convicted, Ramos faces the possibility of life in prison, while Cicinelli faces a maximum four-year sentence.

Ira Salzman, a Pasadena-based attorney who has defended police officers, said he would have been surprised had the judge not held the officers to answer on all charges, since the burden of proof at a preliminary hearing is very low.

Salzman declined to speculate on what would happen at trial. But he and other legal experts said the basis for the murder charge against Ramos — hinging on inflammatory statements and the menacing way Ramos put on his gloves, rather than use of force — is unusual.

"In other cases, you typically have the officer using deadly force," Salzman said.

Thomas' family and supporters who packed the courtroom during the hearings claimed an incremental victory after the judge's ruling, but said they would not be satisfied until the officers are convicted.

"I'm overwhelmed. In this war we've been fighting this is a new battle," said Thomas' father, Ron. "But we got a victory today."

richard.winton@latimes.com

abby.sewell@latimes.com

Times staff writer Angel Jennings contributed to this report.

Van Nuys 'pill mill' allegedly selling illegal Oxycontin shut down

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:43:41 -0700

Authorities have shut down a Van Nuys medical clinic they say was operating as an illegal “pill mill,” where drug addicts and dealers could buy prescriptions.

It was a return visit Wednesday for law enforcement, which last year closed a similar operation at the same address in the 8100 block of Van Nuys Boulevard.

The business reopened with different doctors, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which raided the Roscoe Van Nuys Medical Clinic with federal and state investigators.

They found approximately 70 "patients" and arrested Aida Hawatmeh of Northridge, the operation’s manager, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a felony and conspiracy to furnish unlawful prescriptions.

The Sheriff’s Department said several clinic employees, including doctors, are under investigation in the case.

At pill mills, addicts and dealers pay cash, often $250, for prescriptions to Oxycontin/Oxycodone without receiving medical exams. "Oxy" is a highly addictive prescription drug.

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-- Bettina Boxall

Photo: Suspect Aida Hawatmeh. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

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Angeles Crest Highway closed after body found nearby

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:36:59 -0700

The discovery of a body Thursday morning has closed Angeles Crest Highway until about 10:30 a.m. as L.A. County Sheriff's homicide detectives investigate, the CHP said.

The body was found about three miles north of the 210 Freeway. Angeles Crest Highway was closed about 6:20 a.m., the CHP said.

Sheriff's officials have not released any information about the investigation or about who found the body.

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-- Kim Christensen

Photo: A patrol car blocks access to Angeles Crest Highway. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

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Suspected DUI crash in Sherman Oaks sets truck ablaze

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:05:59 -0700

A fiery crash in Sherman Oaks that took down a light pole and high-voltage power lines ended in the arrest of a truck driver on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Authorities say the woman crashed on Ventura Boulevard near Lankershim Boulevard about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday, and her small, black truck caught fire.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Matt Spence posted on the department's website that a second vehicle was involved in the crash; that driver suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

LAPD Officer Rosario Herrera said the truck's driver was arrested and booked on suspicion of DUI.

KTLA reported that one witness, Oscar Megana, rushed to the scene and helped the woman out of her burning truck.

"I didn't see the accident, I just heard and I saw a flash, and I just ran over there and she was already trying to get out," Megana told the TV station.

He added that at one point, the woman actually tried to get back into her vehicle.

"She was in shock," Megana said. "When it started to burst into flames, she ran back. We were sitting there like, 'No, no, no, we gotta get away.'"

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— Matt Stevens

Twitter.com/mattstevensLAT

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Sheriff's clique may have celebrated shootings with tattoo, sources say

Thu, 10 May 2012 06:36:11 -0700

The investigation into a secret clique within the Los Angeles County sheriff's elite gang unit has uncovered allegations that members had matching tattoos of a gun-toting skeleton, which deputies would modify to celebrate their involvement in a shooting, according to sources close to the internal probe.

One deputy, who has admitted belonging to a clique called the "Jump Out Boys," has identified about half a dozen other deputies as members, one source confirmed. Those men are expected to be summoned for interviews with internal affairs investigators, the source said.

Suspicion about the group's existence was sparked several weeks ago when a supervisor discovered a pamphlet laying out the group's creed, which promoted aggressive policing and portrayed officer shootings in a positive light.

The pamphlet was found in the vehicle used by the deputy who acknowledged his association with the clique, according to sources who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the ongoing investigation.

Days after The Times reported on the discovery of the pamphlet, the captain of the division gathered his deputies for a private briefing, during which he told them they had shamed the department by forming the group and urged those responsible to identify themselves, a source with knowledge of the unit's inner workings said.

At some point, one deputy came forward, and he has since named about six others, the source said.

Internal affairs investigators are trying to determine whether the deputies violated Sheriff's Department rules or committed serious misconduct.

The deputies under scrutiny all work on the Gang Enforcement Team, a unit divided into two platoons of relatively autonomous deputies whose job is to target neighborhoods where gang violence is high, locate armed gang members and take their guns away.

The design of the tattoo, confirmed by two sources, includes an oversize skull with a wide, toothy grimace and glowing red eyes. A bandanna wraps around the skull, imprinted with the letters "OSS" -- representing Operation Safe Streets, the name of the larger unit that the Gang Enforcement Team is part of. A bony hand clasps a revolver. Investigators suspect that smoke is tattooed over the gun's barrel after a member is involved in a shooting.

To the left of the skull are two playing cards -- an ace and an eight -- apparently an allusion to the "dead man's hand" in poker, sources said.

One source compared the notion of modifying the tattoo after a shooting to a celebratory "high five."

Celebrating shootings and sporting matching tattoos were hallmarks of anti-gang officers in the LAPD's troubled Rampart Division in the late 1990s.

A corruption scandal erupted after one disgraced officer implicated himself and others in covering up bad shootings, planting evidence, falsifying reports and perjuring themselves to rid the streets of gang members and drug dealers.

In fact, the tattoo allegedly embraced by the Jump Out Boys is reminiscent of the one inked on Rampart officers, which consisted of a grinning skull in a cowboy hat with pairs of aces and eights fanned out in the background.

Sources say there is no evidence that deputies alleged to be in the clique have been involved in improper shootings or other misconduct. But the new revelations have heightened concerns.

The modified tattoos could also pose problems for the department in future litigation, making it more difficult for county attorneys to argue against lawsuits alleging bad shootings.

Sheriff Lee Baca's spokesman, Steve Whitmore, declined to discuss details of the investigation because it is ongoing. "We take this very seriously," he said. "This is absolutely no joke whatsoever."

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-- Robert Faturechi

Photo: Officials suspect that this tattoo is modified when a member of a deputies' clique is involved in a shooting. Credit: Handout

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Detectives seek to question son of Pepperdine's president

Thu, 10 May 2012 05:46:27 -0700

Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives are seeking to question Christopher A. Benton, the son of Pepperdine University President Andrew K. Benton, in connection with the death of a Malibu woman almost two weeks ago.

The body of 25-year-old graphic designer Katie Wilkins was found in her parents' garage on West Moon Shadows Drive by her brother, Steve, the evening of April 28. Det. Tim O'Quinn of the Sheriff's Department homicide bureau said Wilkins apparently died of a heroin overdose, although the results of toxicology tests are pending.

O'Quinn said Wednesday that the case was being considered "non-criminal" but that detectives had surveillance footage of 27-year-old Christopher Benton getting into a car with Wilkins hours before at a McDonald's restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Benton, who has checked into a rehabilitation facility, was probably the last person to see Wilkins alive, O'Quinn said.

O'Quinn said Benton had hired Ronald J. Lewis, a Woodland Hills attorney, and has so far declined to talk with investigators. Lewis did not return a call seeking comment.

"We are not actively looking at Chris Benton as a suspect," O'Quinn said. "We don't have a warrant out." But he added that detectives would like to ask Benton such questions as: "Did you end up at her house? How did she end up dead?"

"We're hoping Chris will give the family a story ... mainly for the family to get some closure," O'Quinn said.

The dead woman's parents, Robert and Diane Wilkins, and her brother have been waging an aggressive campaign online and in the media to persuade Benton to come forward and speak.

A break came in the investigation Wednesday when officials located Katie Wilkins' silver BMW, which had been missing from her parents' eastern Malibu garage since her death. O'Quinn said detectives planned to check the vehicle for fingerprints. "The car obviously was taken by whoever was with her that night," he said.

Steve Wilkins said the vehicle was found in Woodland Hills. Wilkins, 31, said that his sister had battled addictions with cocaine and heroin in her early 20s but that, as far as close friends and family knew, she had been clean "for a year or two."

In Internet postings and interviews, Wilkins said he unlocked his sister's cellphone after her death, checked the log of calls and text messages, and found that she and Benton had planned to meet at 8:30 p.m. April 27. Video surveillance from the Malibu McDonald's at that time shows his sister pulling into the lot and Benton entering the car as a passenger.

Wilkins said his family "deserves answers from the kid who saw her last. The approach of defiant silence has been frustrating, to say the least." Wilkins said his sister's phone logged "an odd text from Chris" about 1:13 p.m. April 28, asking whether she was OK.

"It was obvious they were together and that something of concern happened," Wilkins said Wednesday.

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Suspect accused of beating woman with shoe, rock in O.C.

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:09:20 -0700

A 50-year-old woman accused of beating a woman with a shoe and rock is expected to be arraigned Thursday on attempted murder and assault charges in Orange County Superior Court.

Minh Tam Ti Phan is charged with repeatedly striking the woman inside a car and during a foot chase that followed, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

The woman had cuts to her head and lost a tooth, according to prosecutors.

Phan owed the woman $100,000 and met her in Orange County prior to the attack on April 22 ostensibly to pay her back, prosecutors said. Phan lives in San Diego County.

Phan was being held on $1 million bail. She is scheduled to be arraigned at the Westminster courthouse.

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Photo: Minh Tam Ti Phan. Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

Man suspected of arson tackled by witnesses at O.C. brush fire

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:31:03 -0700

A man suspected of lighting a small brush fire in Costa Mesa on Wednesday night was tackled to the ground by witnesses as the blaze burned through heavy brush in Talbert Regional Park.

The fire broke out about 7 p.m., prompting a response by firefighters and a water-dropping helicopter from the Orange County Fire Authority, officials said.

At least two witnesses tackled a man they suspected of sparking the blaze. "His face was really bad. There was blood all over," a resident told KCAL TV Channel 9.

The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was being treated for minor burns, fire officials said.

"He is a possible suspect," Capt. Marc Stone of the Orange County Fire Authority told The Times. "He is being interrogated by arson investigators."

Fire crews were mopping up hot spots late Wednesday.

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New charges against Long Beach officer held in child porn case

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:22:43 -0700

A Long Beach police officer charged with multiple counts of possessing child pornography was arrested again on suspicion of committing additional sex crimes, authorities said Wednesday evening.

Noe Yanez was initially arrested April 19 and charged by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

But an ongoing investigation found that he allegedly committed other offenses, including arranging to meet a minor for lewd purposes, the Long Beach Police Department said.

Yanez, a nine-year department veteran, was being held at County Jail on $951,000 bail, police said in a statement. He has been suspended without pay since his first arrest.

In the initial case, Yanez allegedly met a teenager while on patrol and solicited explicit photographs of the youth through electronic messages, according to police. The teenager told a school resources officer about the messages and authorities were alerted.

Anyone with information is asked to call (562) 570-7878.

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Kelly Thomas case could erode community's trust, D.A. says

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:41:00 -0700

Orange County’s top prosecutor said the police beating of Kelly Thomas in Fullerton is the kind of incident that “is very damaging to the community.... It tends to erode the trust that built up over the years.”

An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday ordered two police officers to stand trial for the death of the mentally ill homeless man, who died five days his violent encounter with police last summer.

The centerpiece of the case against the officers is a 33-minute security camera video that shows Thomas –- shirtless and wearing a backpack –- being pummeled with fists, a baton and finally the butt of a stun gun.

VIDEO: Kelly Thomas beating

A coroner’s pathologist testified that Thomas died as a result of chest compression and bleeding from facial injuries.

"This is the hardest thing to do; file cases of this nature against police officers, and I will tell you why. Because we have tremendous law enforcement in Orange County,” Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas said.

“This kind of incident is hard on law enforcement, and it is hard on the community because of what it does to the image of the community," he added.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

Rackauckas said it was the good police work of Fullerton police and district attorney investigators that led to the criminal filing. The prosecutor said he is prepared if the defense files a dismissal motion or an appeal.

"We needed to bring the charge and we did," he said.

Asked whether Officer Joseph Wolfe -– another police officer at the scene of the July 5 incident -- could face charges, the top prosecutor replied: "We are not done with this case.... We are still considering all the evidence."

Fire captain testifies police did 'nothing' to help Kelly Thomas

Cop believes he is innocent in Kelly Thomas death, lawyer says

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas in court. Credit: Pool photo

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Kelly Thomas killing: Officers to stand trial in death of mentally ill homeless man

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:18:56 -0700

This post has been corrected. See below for details.

Prosecutors vowed to move quickly after an Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday ordered two Fullerton police officers to stand trial in the 2011 death of Kelly Thomas, a mentally ill homeless man.

Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, faces charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and using excessive force. Ramos faces 15 years to life in prison. Cicinelli faces a four-year sentence.

Although their defense attorneys suggested emergency medical workers -- not the police officers -- caused Thomas' death by failing to provide prompt care, Judge Walter Schwarm determined after a three-day preliminary hearing that there is enough probable cause for the case to go to trial.

After the judge's decision, defense attorney John Barnett made the statement on behalf of Ramos.

VIDEO: Kelly Thomas beating

Barnett insisted that despite today's decision, Ramos won't face a murder trial -- though he declined to elaborate.

Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas has said he will fight any challenges to have the case dismissed.

"This case is going to trial," Rackauckas said.

"This is another victory for my son," his Kelly's father Ron Thomas said, "but this is another battle now in this war we have been fighting."

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

"I won’t say I am happy," he said outside the courtroom. The war won't be over until the officers are convicted, he said.

The case has been particularly emotional for Ron Thomas, who has been forced to watch the video of his son's beating and listen to the heartbreaking pleas. At one point, Kelly Thomas cries out, "Dad, they are killing me!"

In an earlier interview, Ron Thomas said the hardest part of the video and audio "is the sounds of my son calling out."

Rackauckas presented the case himself, playing a dramatic, never-before-seen video that showed a shirtless Thomas being pummeled and held down by Fullerton police officers.

Rackauckas said Ramos "turned a routine encounter into a brutal beating death" while Cicinelli "assisted in the killing of Kelly Thomas" by "smashing his face" with the butt of a Taser stun gun and applying his own weight on Thomas' torso.

A coroner's pathologist said Thomas died of chest compression and blood from his facial wounds.

"Mr. Ramos is guilty of murder," Ron Thomas said, adding, "Mr. Rackauckas did an outstanding job."

Now that and Orange County judge has ordered to Fullerton police officers to stand trial in the death of Kelly Thomas, supporters of his family said prosecutors should now seek charges against a third cop.

"There is no way I can feel happy about this," said Christina Walker, 41, of Fullerton, wearing a baby blue shirt that said, “Justice 4 Kelly Thomas.’ “It's just one teeny tiny slice of victory on the way to justice."

Walker, who sat with the Thomas family during the three-day preliminary hearing, said she was an acquaintance of Kelly Thomas’ as a child, but was drawn to the case after his death because her brother is also a homeless schizophrenic.

After Kelly Thomas’ death, she protested for four weeks alongside the Thomas family in seeking charges against the officers involved.

Walker said she believes prosecutors should also charge Officer Joe Wolfe, who is one of six police officers involved in the altercation and put on leave after the invident. Wolfe is one of the first officers who made contact with Thomas on the night of July 5.

"I dont care if I have to protest for the next year," she said.

Outside the courtroom, supporters hugged each other.

John Oetken, 50, was among the supporters. The Tustin resident attended the hearing along with eight other members of Oath Keepers, an organization of active, retired officers and armed services.

"Justice should be served," he said.

Kelly Thomas case: Two Fullerton cops ordered to stand trial

Fire captain testifies police did 'nothing' to help Kelly Thomas

-- Richard Winton and Angel Jennings at Orange County Superior Court

Photo: At Orange County Superior Court, Ron Thomas bows his head as attorney Garo Mardirossian tells the media that a judge will bring two Fullerton police officers to trial for the death of Kelly Thomas. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

For the record, 9:39 p.m.: A previous version of this post misidentified attorney Garo Mardirossian as Rowena J. Dizon.

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Gang member convicted in killing of football star Jamiel Shaw Jr.

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:56:51 -0700

A gang member has been convicted in the 2008 shooting death of a high school football star who was mistaken for a rival gang member because of a red Spider-Man backpack.

Pedro Espinoza, 23, was charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of 17-year-old Jamiel Shaw Jr., who was shot on the street three doors from his Arlington Heights home. Espinoza allegedly asked Shaw for his gang affiliation -- "Where are you from?" -- then shot him before he could respond, in what a prosecutor said was an "execution"-manner.

Jurors found true additional allegations that Espinoza acted in association with a criminal gang -- the 18th Street gang -- and that he used a firearm. He was not charged with a hate crime.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty; jurors will decide at the end of a separate phase of the trial whether he should receive capital punishment.

Espinoza, who had a shaved head at the time of the shooting, sat in the trial with his hair slicked back and wearing dark-rimmed glasses and a suit. Prosecutors noted that he had tattooed on the side of his neck the letters "BK" -- which they contended stood for "Blood Killer."

When he spotted the teenager walking home, Espinoza believed Shaw to be a Bloods gang member because he was black and carrying the red bag, prosecutors argued at trial. Driving away from the scene, he boasted "I'm a killer," they said.

An attorney for Espinoza called the prosecution's case "weak," citing inconsistent descriptions between witnesses about what the shooter wore, and an eyewitness' failure to identify his client.

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Wed, 09 May 2012 15:05:38 -0700

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Kelly Thomas case: Two Fullerton cops ordered to stand trial

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:29:51 -0700

<&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&> An Orange County Superior Court judge today ordered two Fullerton police officers to stand trial in the 2011 death of Kelly Thomas, a mentally ill homeless man.

Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and using excessive force.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas presented the case himself, playing a dramatic, never-before-seen video that showed a shirtless Thomas being pummeled and held down by Fullerton police officers. As the video played in court, many in the audience gasped and groaned. Some stood up and walked out. (It also may be disturbing to some readers.)

The 37-year-old Thomas can be heard screaming, "Dad, they are killing me." He repeatedly shouts, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

The case has rocked the north Orange County city, where scores of people have protested and staged memorials. And the graphic video became an instant touchstone for those who advocate for a more robust and effective mental health system. Advocates for the mentally ill said they viewed the recording, the centerpiece of the prosecution's case against the two officers accused in Thomas' death, as something akin to their Rodney King video.

Rackauckas has said that what should have been a routine police encounter devolved into a brutal beating that led to Thomas' death. Thomas died five days after the July 5 beating, after his family decided to take him off life support.

A coroner's pathologist testified Thomas ultimately died of brain death, acute bronchial pneumonia and blunt force facial trauma. Dr. Aruna Singhania, who told the court she had performed 11,000 autopsies, said Thomas had difficulty breathing because of chest compression as the struggle wore on and was worsened by facial and nasal bleeding. Officers are seen in the video atop Thomas during the confrontation.

In closing statements Wednesday, Rackauckas told the judge officers "crushed the life out" of Thomas and should be ordered to stand trial.

"It is a very bad day in Orange County when we have to charge two police officers with these terrible crimes," he said.

During the hearing, defense attorneys sought to show the cause of death might have been the treatment Thomas got at the hospital as doctors struggled to insert a tube and clear an airway.

John Barnett, Ramos' attorney, also said Thomas was uncooperative and would not identify himself.

"He can go home if he will tell them his name and explain why he has someone else's mail in his backpack," Barnett said.

The attorney also said the prosecution twisted Ramos' language and Thomas never viewed the officer's words as a threat. Ramos was just using street language, Barnett said, and "Mr. Rackaukas has turned that into murder."

Kelly Thomas' father walks out as autopsy photos are shown

Fire captain testifies police did 'nothing' to help Kelly Thomas

-- Richard Winton in Orange County Superior Court

Missing teen Sierra LaMar: Teams to search small ponds, waterways

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:21:56 -0700

A Santa Clara County sheriff's spokesman said Wednesday the department's dive team is searching "small ponds and waterways" in an unincorporated area of South San Jose in its search for evidence in the case of missing 15-year-old Sierra LaMar.

The announcement comes one day after officials located a red Volkswagen Jetta believed to be connected to her March 16 abduction. The mid-1990s four-door sedan with a black hood had been spotted on numerous surveillance videos near Sierra's Morgan Hill home the morning she disappeared, said Sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza.

The car also appeared in videos taken in the area where the cheerleader's purse and school books were recovered a few days later. Its occupants were not visible on the videos, said Cardoza, who declined to disclose how or where the car was found.

"Investigators do have the vehicle in their custody but are asking the public to report any sightings of this vehicle and/or occupants during the time surrounding Sierra’s disappearance," Cardoza said in a statement Tuesday. "The sheriff’s office is specifically interested in hearing from anyone who may have seen this vehicle or had contact with the occupant(s) during the month of March within Santa Clara County or bordering counties."

Sierra's cellphone was also located the day after her disappearance -- in the opposite direction from the school bus stop where police believe she was headed. A massive community search effort has been underway in Morgan Hill, south of San Jose.

In addition, divers have searched reservoirs and investigators have followed up on thousands of leads. Volunteer searches were continuing Wednesday and Saturday, according to the KlaasKids Foundation, which has organized them.

The foundation has also announced that the "America's Most Wanted" TV show will feature Sierra's disappearance Friday.

Anyone with information on the case should contact sheriff's investigators at (408) 808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431. Emailed tips should be send to: tips@sheriff.sccgov.org.

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Photo: Sierra LaMar posters. Credit: Ben Margot / Associated Press.

D.A.: Police 'crushed the life out' of Kelly Thomas

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:10:59 -0700

<&&&&&&&&>

Orange County's top prosecutor told a Superior Court judge Wednesday that two Fullerton police officers "crushed the life out" of Kelly Thomas and should be ordered to stand trial for the death of the homeless man.

"It is a very bad day in Orange County when we have to charge two police officers with these terrible crimes," Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackaukas said during the third and final day of a preliminary hear to determine whether the police officers should stand trial -- one for second-degree murder, the other for involuntary manslaughter.

The beating death of Thomas has rocked the north Orange County city since the violent encounter last July outside a bus depot, and a video of the incident has served as the centerpiece on the prosecution's case against the officers.

VIDEO: Kelly Thomas beating

Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the case, while Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, is facing involuntary manslaughter and excessive force charges. Ramos faces a term of life in prison; Cicinelli faces four years in prison. Both have pleaded not guilty .

Rackaukas said Ramos "turned a routine encounter into a brutal beating death" while Cicinelli "assisted in the killing of Kelly Thomas" by "smashing his face" with the butt of a Taser stun gun and applying his own weight on Thomas' torso.

A coroner's pathologist said Thomas died of chest compression and blood from his facial wounds.

"Kelly Thomas was a bit of a jerk to the officer but Officer Ramos was a bit cavalier," Rackaukas said.

The prosecutor said the officer was twirling his baton and then "put on a show" when he put on a pair of latex gloves, signaling he was "not going to be nice anymore." The officer said "see my fists ... these fists are going to f... you up," according to the video of the encounter.

The prosecutor said there can be no other interpretation "that a beating is coming imminently" and that "this is going to be a bad, brutal beating."

Rackaukas described a series of blows delivered to Thomas before Cicinelli arrives, first shocking him with his Taser and then clubbing him with the butt of the weapon as if it were "a hammer."

"Then he jumped on him, smashing his face. Those aren't my words, those are his," Rackaukas said. "That is excessive force there is no reason for that."

He added: "You are seeing blood coming off the face of Kelly Thomas splashing up in the air," Rackaukas said.

John Barnett, Ramos' attorney, said Thomas was uncooperative. "He won't identify who he is. They already know he is" suspected of breaking into cars, Barnett said.

"He can go home if he will tell them his name and explain why he has someone else's mail in his backpack," Barnett said.

Barnett said there is no evidence officers knew he was mentally ill.

The attorney also said the prosecution skipped over Ramos saying, "you don't f...... stop listening" that night, which Barnett said was meant only as a conditional threat. The lawyer said Thomas never saw it as a threat because his response was "start punching dude."

"The people's entire argument goes back to the threat," he said.

Barnett said Ramos was just using street language and "Mr. Rackaukas has turned that into murder," Barnett said.

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L.A. officials urge city to 'celebrate responsibly' if teams win

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:50:32 -0700

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined police and fire officials outside Staples Center on Wednesday to discuss the arrest of a man in an arson case after the Lakers' 2010 NBA championship victory and urge sports fans to "celebrate responsibly" next time around.

Los Angeles officials Wednesday announced the arrest of Darren Cooper, 22, an unemployed San Bernardino man, in the torching of a taxicab after the Lakers won the 2010 NBA title.

"For those who use these occasions to commit illegal acts, know that we will find you, we will arrest you and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law," Villaraigosa said.

Cooper is alleged to have been part of an unruly group that smashed and set the cab on fire near Staples Center on June 17, 2010. He was in jail in San Bernardino on a domestic violence charge when Los Angeles officials arrested him about two weeks ago on suspicion of arson, said Michael Greenup, the L.A. Fire Department’s arson counterterrorism chief.

Cooper is free on bail and has not been arraigned, Greenup said. Five others suspected in the incident still are being sought as police and fire investigators continue to analyze images of criminal behavior gleaned from videos, business surveillance cameras, TV news footage, Twitter pictures, Facebook pages and other social media sites.

In the disturbance after the 2010 championship, some people roamed downtown streets, breaking windows, throwing things at police and vandalizing public and private property. At least 45 people were arrested at the time on suspicion of arson, battery, public drunkenness, inciting a riot, disturbing the peace and vandalism.

Officials said Wednesday that such behavior cannot be tolerated, even if they grow out of sports celebrations.

"The message today is simple: Celebrate safely, celebrate responsibly," Councilwoman Jan Perry said.

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MADD says Roger Hernandez bill too lenient on DUI offenders

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:32:38 -0700

A state lawmaker who faces charges of driving while intoxicated has come under criticism from Mothers Against Drunk Driving for pushing a bill that the group said would make it easier for DUI offenders to get out of jail early.

MADD called Wednesday for the Senate to reject the bill, AB 2127, by Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina), which expands the kinds of work a prisoner can do to be eligible for early release from county jail.

A MADD official said the group was not making an issue of the DUI charges against Hernandez, but instead is demanding that the bill exclude drunk drivers from the expanded early release options.

"AB 2127 decriminalizes drunk driving in California and undermines the deterrence message that incarceration provides to potential drunk drivers," said Mary Klotzbach, chairwoman of the MADD California Public Policy Committee in a statement. "As a result, this legislation compromises public safety on California roadways.”

The bill is also opposed by the California District Attorneys Assn. "Unfortunately, this bill represents another way for offenders to serve less custody time," the association wrote to the Legislature.

The measure would provide work-release credits against jail sentences to convicts who take life skills classes, look for employment or get approval to return to their regular jobs, new options in addition to the current alternative of agreeing to county-supervised manual labor such as graffiti cleanup. The bill does not mention drunk driving or any offense by name, but would broadly apply to offenses that get jail sentences.

Hernandez introduced the measure Feb. 23, a little more than a month before he was arrested for drunk driving. He voted for the bill in April, two weeks after his arrest.

The assemblyman did not return a call Wednesday, but he wrote to his colleagues that his bill would "serve as an incentive for people convicted of low-level misdemeanors to do their best to fully reintegrate into the general society by receiving release credit for working."

Assemblyman Roger Hernandez charged with drunken driving

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Photo: Assemblyman Roger Hernandez in his arrest booking photo. Credit: Concord Police Department

Steve Lopez: Kelly Thomas' father committed to justice for son

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:22:36 -0700

It was “just horrifying” to have watched the video of his son Kelly’s beating in court this week, Ron Thomas said Wednesday morning.

He was on his way back into the Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana to hear closing arguments in the preliminary hearing for two Fullerton police officers charged in the death of the homeless, mentally ill Kelly last July.

Ron Thomas told me he was feeling a little stronger as he reentered the courthouse. But he reminded me that he is still dealing with two other family tragedies since his son’s death.

In March, Ron Thomas’ younger brother died of throat cancer, and in April, his teenage grandson was killed in an auto accident.

What keeps him going, Thomas said, is Kelly’s desperate call to him as he was being beaten. Thomas said he remains committed to justice for his son and for others dealing with mental illness.

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-- Steve Lopez

Photo: Ron Thomas holds back tears while he walks away from a news conference in which he talked about some of the video evidence and photos presented in court during the preliminary hearing for Fullerton police officers accused in the death of Thomas' son Kelly. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

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Man shot to death in Pico-Union; gunman sought

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:49:17 -0700

Los Angeles homicide detectives asked Wednesday for the public’s help in finding whoever killed a 29-year-old man found lying in the street in the Pico-Union district.

Officers responding to reports of gunshots about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday found Rene Miranda, 29, lying near 20^th Street and Normandie Avenue.

He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Detectives did not have information about anyone suspected in the killing or a motive.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (213) 382-9470 or (877) 527-3247 during non-business hours. Anonymous calls may be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).

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twitter.com/samquinones7

Map: Shows location of Tuesday's shooting in purple, as well as 105 other homicides within 2 miles, in red, since January 2007. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Kelly Thomas case: DA makes final push for officers to stand trial

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Kelly Thomas case: D.A. makes final push for officers to stand trial

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:40:50 -0700

Orange County prosecutors are preparing a final salvo to convince a Superior Court judge to order two Fullerton police officers to stand trial for the death of Kelly Thomas, the mentally ill homeless man who died after he was pummeled by officers in a violent confrontation last summer in Fullerton.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors called final witnesses Wednesday in a case that has revolved around a graphic security camera video that captured the incident last July outside a downtown Fullerton bus depot.

The case has become a flashpoint in the debate over interaction between police officers and those who are mentally ill.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

Holding a Taser stun gun up for the court to see, Dist. Atty. Tony Rackaukas on Wednesday questioned a Fullerton police sergeant about the weapon, which one officer can be seen wielding during the police confrontation with Thomas.

"This Taser has weight to it?" the county's top prosecutor asked, smacking it several times on the podium.

Thomas was allegedly struck on the head or face with a Taser and also was struck repeatedly with fists and a baton.

A coroner's pathologist testified Tuesday that Thomas died as a result of chest compression and facial injuries. She put the blame squarely on the officers, saying when they piled on Thomas during the scrum, it cut the flow of oxygen to his blood.

The pathologist said Thomas' worsening condition was hastened by the facial injuries he suffered.

Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the case, while Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, is facing involuntary manslaughter and excessive force charges.

Ramos faces a term of life in prison; Cicinelli faces four years in prison. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Final arguments are scheduled before noon Wednesday, though it remains unclear whether Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm will immediately make a decision as to whether the two policeman should stand trial.

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Photo: An image from video of police confrontation with Kelly Thomas. Credit: Pool photographer

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Southwest passengers resume trip after bomb scare at John Wayne

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:37:53 -0700

Air travelers stranded overnight in Orange County by a bomb scare were on their way to Phoenix Wednesday morning after being rebooked on Southwest Airlines flights beginning at 6:45 a.m.

Their trip on Flight 811 was interrupted about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday when authorities received threats against it and an earlier Southwest flight from Orange County that arrived at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport about an hour earlier.

The FBI is investigating the incidents to determine who made the phone threats and if there is a link between them, spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said Wednesday morning.

Passengers were taken off Flight 811 and the plane was moved to an isolated area of John Wayne Airport, where it was searched by a bomb squad and canine units from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Orange County Fire Authority, Eimiller said.

A similar search was conducted of Flight 1184 in Phoenix, but no explosives were found aboard either jet, authorities said. Passengers and baggage were re-screened and the flights were cleared to leave.

The Phoenix flight flew on to Tulsa, Okla., on Tuesday night, but a noise curfew prevented the Orange County flight from leaving.

Southwest put up the passengers in hotels Tuesday night and re-booked them on flights this morning, airline spokeswoman Ashley Dillon said. She said that the incidents did not prompt any enhanced security measures at either airport.

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Manteca police chief urges residents to lock away their guns

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:42:32 -0700

The police chief of a Central California city is urging residents to secure their firearms as a way of fighting crime.

"Lock them up," Manteca Police Chief Nick Obligacion said.

The chief says he supports the right to bear arms but would like to see more law-abiding gun owners use safes to lock up their weapons. He said 90% of the 38 guns his department has taken off the streets recently are guns that were stolen in burglaries.

“A gang member doesn’t go into Big 5 or Bass Pro and say, ‘Hey, can I have that 357 off the shelf? I’m going to do a drive-by and wait 15 days to do the drive by.’ It’s a gun that’s been stolen off the street,” Obligacion said.

The police chief said gangs and guns go together. He points to four drive-by shootings in eight days in Manteca.

Last week, Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones reported his newly created “Impact” unit took 112 guns off the street in just the last four months.

If law-abiding citizens make an effort to put their guns in safes, will it make a difference in gun violence and lives saved?

“I can’t say all those 112 guns that we confiscated and took off the street would have been used to commit murder and attempted murders, but I think I can say with certainty that many of them would have been,” Jones said.

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Arrest made in 2010 arson attack after Lakers' championship win

Wed, 09 May 2012 07:15:41 -0700

Authorities have arrested a man after a long investigation into an arson attack on a taxi following the Lakers' 2010 NBA championship win.

Darren Cooper, whose age and hometown were not released by authorities, was arrested by L.A. City Fire investigators and booked on suspicion of arson, KTLA-TV reported. The investigators are still searching for five other people in connection with the June 2010 incident.

The jubilant celebration by Lakers fans outside Staples Center quickly turned destructive when fans started jumping on cars and breaking windshields.

One incident was captured on video by news media from the air and on the ground.

Abraham Teferi was sitting in his cab on Flower Street when dozens of revelers surrounded him. The crowd tried to turn the cab over, then jumped on the taxi and smashed in the windows. They then began chanting "burn it up," according to Teferi.

A man can be seen on the video striking a lighter and tossing a piece of flaming cloth into the cab.

Some celebrated the act -- even posing for pictures -- but the crowd had dispersed by the time police arrived.

Authorities plan to hold a news conference Wednesday morning to display images of the five others suspected in connection with the incident.

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Photo: A taxi is seen burning after the Lakers' NBA championship win in 2010. Credit: KTLA-TV

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Chest compression cut off homeless man's oxygen, expert says

Wed, 09 May 2012 07:11:00 -0700

The police officers who pummeled Kelly Thomas during a violent encounter last summer in Fullerton caused his death by cutting off the flow of oxygen to his brain when the fight intensified and they piled on the homeless man, a coroner's pathologist testified Tuesday.

Dr. Aruna Singhania, who told the court she had performed 11,000 autopsies, said the difficulty Thomas had breathing because of chest compression as the struggle wore on was worsened by facial and nasal bleeding.

The testimony came in the second day of a preliminary hearing that has orbited around a graphic and disturbing video of Thomas' being hit by police outside the bus depot in downtown Fullerton.

On Tuesday, the back-and-forth in the courtroom centered less on the violence captured on video than on the medical question of what — and ultimately who — killed Thomas.

Singhania showed graphic images of Thomas' body, pointing out bruises and wounds, and said the chest compression from the weight and position of the officers is what caused him to suffer hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in his blood.

The pathologist said Thomas ultimately died of brain death, acute bronchial pneumonia and blunt force facial injuries.

As images of Thomas' battered and heavily bruised body resting on a coroner's slab were about to be shown, his father, Ron Thomas, stood up and walked out of court. He said he was unable to look at the gruesome photos.

The reaction mirrored the response Monday when some spectators left the courtroom as the video played. The judge, after some in the audience groaned, stopped the tape at one point and asked those who could not stomach the images to leave the courtroom.

Thomas, who suffered shattered bones in his face, broken ribs and bruises over much of his body, was taken off life support by his family and died five days after his encounter with police.

Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and using excessive force. Ramos faces a possible life prison term; Cicinelli four years in prison. Both have pleaded not guilty.

When the images of Thomas were flashed on the screen, Cicinelli didn't look up. Ramos glanced at the photos, but only for a moment.

Prosecutors maintain that Ramos escalated what should have been a routine police encounter into a deadly beating by threatening Thomas, first saying, "See my fists," and then adding "I'm getting ready to f— you up."

During the scrum, Cicinelli can be seen on the video striking Thomas several times in the face with the butt of a Taser stun gun as officers pin him on the ground. "I just smashed his face to hell," he can be heard telling a fellow officer.

Defense attorneys sought to upend the case by suggesting that emergency medical workers — not the police officers — caused his death by failing to promptly get tubes into Thomas' airway.

Ramos' attorney, John Barnett, tried to get the pathologist to pinpoint when and where Thomas' chest was compressed to the degree that oxygen was cut off.

"It is not the heavy weight, it is the way it is compressed," she said, pointing to bruising on Thomas' left side.

She eventually agreed that the chest compression happened when Thomas' cries for help could no longer be heard on the tape.

Barnett noted that his client was on Thomas' legs — not his chest — at that time.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Kelly Thomas beating: Judge may rule on Fullerton officers' trial

Wed, 09 May 2012 07:02:48 -0700

<> An Orange County judge is expected to rule Wednesday whether there is enough evidence for two Fullerton police officers to stand trial in the beating death of homeless and mentally ill man Kelly Thomas.

A coroner's pathologist testified Tuesday the police officers who pummeled Thomas during a violent encounter last summer in Fullerton caused his death by cutting off the flow of oxygen to his brain when the fight intensified and they piled on him.

Dr. Aruna Singhania, who told the court she had performed 11,000 autopsies, said the difficulty Thomas had breathing because of chest compression as the struggle wore on was worsened by facial and nasal bleeding.

The testimony came in the second day of a preliminary hearing that has orbited around a graphic and disturbing video of Thomas' being hit by police outside the bus depot in downtown Fullerton. On Tuesday, the back and forth in the courtroom centered less on the violence captured on video than on the medical question of what — and ultimately who — killed Thomas.

Singhania showed graphic images of Thomas' body, pointing out bruises and wounds, and said the chest compression from the weight and position of the officers is what caused him to suffer hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in his blood.

The pathologist said Thomas ultimately died of brain death, acute bronchial pneumonia and blunt force facial injuries. As images of Thomas' battered and heavily bruised body resting on a coroner's slab were about to be shown, his father, Ron Thomas, stood up and walked out of court.

He said he was unable to look at the gruesome photos. The reaction mirrored the response Monday when some spectators left the courtroom as the video played. The judge, after some in the audience groaned, stopped the tape at one point and asked those who could not stomach the images to leave the courtroom.

Thomas, who suffered shattered bones in his face, broken ribs and bruises over much of his body, was taken off life support by his family and died five days after his encounter with police. Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.

Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and using excessive force. Ramos faces a possible life prison term, Cicinelli four years in prison. Both have pleaded not guilty.

When the images of Thomas were flashed on the screen, Cicinelli didn't look up. Ramos glanced at the photos, but only for a moment.

Prosecutors maintain that Ramos escalated what should have been a routine police encounter into a deadly beating by threatening Thomas, first saying, "See my fists," and then adding, "I'm getting ready to f— you up."

During the scrum, Cicinelli can be seen on the video striking Thomas several times in the face with the butt of a Taser stun gun as officers pin him on the ground.

"I just smashed his face to hell," he can be heard telling a fellow officer.

Defense attorneys sought to upend the case by suggesting that emergency medical workers — not the police officers — caused his death by failing to promptly get tubes into Thomas' airway.

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Alleged high-end bike thieves used Craigslist to find victims

Wed, 09 May 2012 06:58:46 -0700

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has arrested three men accused of being at the center of a sophisticated bike-stealing ring that targeted bikes worth $2,000 to $30,000.

On Wednesday, detectives will hold a news conference hoping to reunite 150 stolen bikes with their owners. Some of the stolen bikes have already been returned, but authorities are looking for other victims of the alleged ring.

Detectives said the thieves scanned Craigslist and Facebook to identify targets, making away with the designer racing bikes.

They allegedly preyed on the growing online community of Los Angeles bike enthusiasts who share photos about rides and their latest bike acquisitions on various websites and look for parts on Craigslist.

Two brothers from Los Angeles, Julian Herrera, 23, and Jamie Herrera, 21, and a Colton man identified as 34-year-old Alberto Mejia face dozens of counts of burglary and conspiracy after authorities reported finding purloined bikes and bike parts at various locations including one of the suspect's homes.

Authorities say the crew was operating on the Westside perhaps as far back as 2009.

Los Angeles police made arrests in 2011 after a series of high-end bike thefts in Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica. The suspects included Mejia and Julian Herrera, who worked in his family's gardening business at some of the homes that were hit. Both men were arrested and eventually convicted, along with Julian's uncle, Marvin Herrera.

When they were released after a few weeks in jail, the bike thefts resumed over a wider territory with help from the Internet, detectives say.

Authorities allege that the suspects began scouring Craigslist and bike websites looking for expensive bicycles for sale. They allegedly chatted with the owners, using fake names such as Joe Wayne, Justin Vyor and Mark Silverstein.

Sheriff's Lt. Kent Wegener said the suspects tried to glean more information about the kind of bikes the sellers owned and where they rode. They even persuaded some sellers to email additional photos. If they got names of the sellers, they logged into Facebook in search of more information. They also used Facebook to find fellow riders who could become future targets, Wegener said.

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Photo: Some of the recovered racing bikes that police say were stolen from victims found through Facebook and Craigslist. Two brothers from Los Angeles, Julian Herrera, top, and Jamie Herrera, middle, and a Colton man identified as 34-year-old Alberto Mejia, bottom, face dozens of counts of burglary and conspiracy. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

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L.A. Now Live: Chat about Kelly Thomas, 'Bait Car'

Wed, 09 May 2012 06:00:00 -0700

Times reporter Robert Faturechi will join City Editor Shelby Grad for a live chat on his latest story on a Los Angeles County Sheriff's detective in trouble after filming a reality television show.

The chat is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday. Questions can be submitted live.

Faturechi reported on undercover cops filming the reality TV show "Bait Car," which is supposed to catch car thieves in the act. Instead, the lead detective on the case ended up getting busted. In court, Det. Anthony Shapiro said under oath that he read the suspect his Miranda rights from a card in his notebook. Unedited video for the program shows that he did not read him his rights and instead said, ""You watch TV. You know your rights and all that?" Shapiro asked instead, according to the video reviewed by The Times.

Reporter Abby Sewell will also join the chat to discuss the latest developments in the Kelly Thomas case as well as how mental health professionals are viewing a disturbing video played during the preliminary hearing for two Fullerton police officers charged with murder.

The video, which shows officers in a brutal, physical altercation with Thomas, has became an instant touchstone for those who advocate for a more robust and effective mental health system.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=5657d40472&amp;quot; _mce_href=&amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=5657d40472&amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;L.A. Now Live with city editor Shelby Grad&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Phony photographer arrested in incident with teenage girl, police say

Wed, 09 May 2012 05:56:29 -0700

A man was arrested on suspicion of posing as a photographer to meet and take pictures of an underage teenage girl, authorities said.

Officials said a Cypress police officer observed William Gabriel Rodriguez, 29, with the teen in Maple Grove Park on Monday night, KTLA-TV reported.

After questioning the two, they said, the officer learned that the girl was 15 years old and had met Rodriguez on a social networking website.

The girl told police that Rodriguez had sent her several text messages, including a lewd picture, officials said.

Rodriguez, who goes by the name "Tattooed Photographer" on the site, had initially told the officer the girl was 18 years old, officials said.

He is now in custody awaiting arraignment later this month. His bail was set at $100,000.

Investigators say they believe Rodriguez may have more victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cypress Police Department's Criminal Investigation Bureau at (714) 229-6631

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Photo: William Gabriel Rodriguez. Credit: Cypress Police Department

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Client dies in prison, but lawyer still seeks to prove innocence

Wed, 09 May 2012 05:46:00 -0700

A convicted killer who died on death row while his appeal languished before the California Supreme Court should have his case decided posthumously, his attorney told the state high court.

Scott F. Kauffman, who represented Dennis Lawley for 19 years, contends that his client was innocent of a 1989 murder for hire that sent him to San Quentin. Lawley, he said, deserves a ruling on his claims, even if the outcome will have no practical consequence.

"Mr. Lawley's death does not erase the injustice of his conviction and sentence," Kauffman told the court in a written motion. "It would be a disservice to justice and to Mr. Lawley, who has always maintained his innocence, for this court to [dismiss the case] as moot."

Lawley was sentenced to death after he was convicted of hiring two men to kill Kenneth Stewart, a recently released prisoner who had been robbing drug dealers. Prosecutors contended that the murder weapon was a gun found in Lawley's cabin in Modesto.

Years after Lawley's conviction, Brian Seabourn, the admitted triggerman, said he was ordered to shoot the victim by the Aryan Brotherhood, a prison gang. Seabourn, serving a life sentence, had long confided in others that he had buried the murder weapon in a Modesto field.

A search of that field in December 2007 turned up a rusty revolver, the type of gun Seabourn had described.

The discovery came too late for an innocence case that Lawley had pending before the California Supreme Court. The court rejected that petition, ruling that Lawley had not proved his innocence, but gave him the opportunity to file a new challenge based on the gun's discovery.

Kauffman filed the new challenge in April 2008, and written arguments were completed in January 2009.

After hearing nothing from the court for 23 months, Lawley filed another motion in December 2010 asking the court to move more quickly.

Fifteen additional months had passed when Lawley, 68, was found dead in his cell March 11, a victim of heart failure triggered by methamphetamine use. His motion asking for a speedy resolution was still pending.

Courts sometimes decide cases after they have become moot, to resolve important legal issues. But in fact-specific cases such as Lawley's, they generally decide that their time would be spent better elsewhere.

Deputy Atty. Gen. David A. Eldridge, representing the prosecution in the case, could not be reached for comment. Kauffman said he wants "the state of California to acknowledge there was a giant miscarriage of justice"

"Mr. Lawley is dead, but his case should not be buried with him," Kauffman told the court.

The court has not responded to his request.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Kelly Thomas video a turning point for mental health care?

Wed, 09 May 2012 05:22:00 -0700

"I sleep in trash cans."

It is a minute and 45 seconds into the security camera video. Kelly Thomas, 37, jaws with police officers at a Fullerton bus depot, his arms crossed over his bare chest, his backpack double-strapped. It is the night of July 5, 2011, about 8:30. It's still 80 degrees outside. A few pedestrians wander by. A car passes. There is no indication that the lives of every person on the tape are about to change.

"You planning on going to sleep pretty soon?" one officer asks.

"I'd like to," Thomas replies.

But another officer, Manuel Ramos, isn't done. "It seems like every day we have to talk to you about something," Ramos says, twirling his baton. "Do you enjoy it?"

It is a critical moment — 2:12 on the video. From that point forward, the exchange spirals out of control. At 15:47, Thomas receives the first blow from a baton. At 17:29, officers pile on top of Thomas, who screams: "I can't breathe!" At 21:25, blood gurgles in Thomas' throat. At 21:49, he shrieks: "Daddy! Daddy!" At 22:36 come his last words: "Help me! Help me!"

This week, after the tape was played for the first time in court, it exploded in the public consciousness — one YouTube version had been viewed 91 times each minute — and became an instant touchstone for those who advocate for a more robust and effective mental health system.

Advocates for the mentally ill said they viewed the recording, the centerpiece of the prosecution's case against two officers accused in Thomas' death, as something akin to their Rodney King video.

In the case of the King video, civic activists felt they had a record, at long last, of something they'd been trying to articulate for years: that the relationship between African Americans and Los Angeles police was fundamentally broken. Similarly, advocates for the mentally ill say they now have a record of a scattershot, chronically underfunded mental health system. This is what it looks like, they said, when schizophrenics fend for themselves on the streets, when their only interface with the government is with haplessly unprepared police officers.

"I think I'm a fairly strong woman. I've seen a lot of tragedy over the years. But I am reeling," said Carla Jacobs, a veteran Southern California mental health activist, shortly after watching the recording.

The tape, she noted, will be picked apart during the legal proceedings. Some will argue, she said, that Thomas should have been more respectful, and worked harder to follow instructions. Others will argue that the officers should have received better training. None of that, she contended, will matter in the end.

"As far as I'm concerned, the blame — the guilt — is on the mental health system that left Kelly out on the street and didn't provide him with the treatment that could have prevented this horror," she said. "I hope we can develop a collective memory and recognize the tragedy that we have caused."

In interviews, advocates said the beating death and its recording could fuel meaningful reform — in mental health funding; in the use of coordinated, "wrap-around" social services; in persuading wary or defiant patients to consent to treatment; and, in particular, in the training of police officers to defuse encounters with the mentally ill.

"It is my personal crusade to change the way police officers deal with the mentally ill," said Thomas' father, Ron Thomas.

Kelly Thomas suffered brain injuries, shattered facial bones, broken ribs and a crushed thorax. He was taken off life support by his family and died five days after his beating.

Ramos, 38, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter; a second officer, Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and using excessive force. Ramos faces a life prison term; Cicinelli could be sentenced to four years in prison. Both have pleaded not guilty.

The black-and-white recording, lifted from a city surveillance camera, was played in public for the first time Monday at a preliminary hearing to determine whether the case should go to trial.

The recording was not equipped with sound, but authorities paired it with audio recordings lifted from devices attached to some of the officers' uniforms. On the recording, Ramos is seen pulling on latex gloves — and can be heard telling Thomas that he is "getting ready to f— you up." Cicinelli can be seen striking Thomas — and heard telling a colleague: "I just smashed his face to hell."

"The audio is what is key," Ron Thomas said. "Without the audio the brutality isn't as devastating."

Onlookers in the courtroom were unable to stifle cries of outrage; Judge Walter Schwarm was forced to pause the proceedings in order to remind the courtroom to maintain a sense of decorum.

In the past, other incidents in which homeless people were killed by police have prompted calls for reform. In 1999, for instance, a Los Angeles police officer shot and killed a 5-foot-1, 102-pound homeless woman after she allegedly lunged at him with a screwdriver. Today, LAPD officers are required to alert a mental evaluation unit when they encounter someone suspected of suffering from a mental illness; officers are trained to recognize people with schizophrenia and other conditions and are often paired with mental health experts.

But armed with a disturbing, crystalline recording of Thomas' beating, mental health advocates are pushing for systemic reform — even in an age of shrinking budgets.

"It should be evident to anybody that this man need not have died," said Randall Hagar, director of government affairs at the California Psychiatric Assn.

For instance, mental health workers have demonstrated the resounding success of a style of therapy known as "whatever it takes" — founded on the notion that mental illness is typically accompanied by physical illness, poverty and other problems. Those programs have languished because of funding deficiencies. Some advocates said the Thomas case could resurrect the effort to force institutions shouldering the burden of that frayed safety net, such as hospitals, to pay for the fix.

For the public, said Rusty Selix, executive director of the California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies, "Not giving them the care they need costs more than giving them all of the care they need."

The Thomas case, too, could prompt some counties to reconsider implementation of Laura's Law, a 2002 measure allowing for court-ordered treatment and compulsory medication in some cases. So far, only Nevada County has fully implemented the measure. Now, Orange County is taking a hard look at implementing the law, though that effort is on hold while questions about its funding mechanisms are resolved.

"If Kelly Thomas wouldn't have happened, I don't know if we would have looked at it," said Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach.

Most of all, advocates said they expect a fervent effort to train more officers to better navigate encounters with people who suffer from mental illness. Hagar said the Thomas case could compel advocates to add that training to upcoming legislative priorities in reforming California's mental health system. And Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said the state could launch an effort to persuade counties to seek through the Mental Health Services Act additional law enforcement training.

Fullerton has put all of its officers through training on use of force and interacting with the homeless and mentally ill. The city also created a task force on homelessness and mental illness, made up of religious leaders, mental health advocates and others.

Like the King beating in Los Angeles, the death of Thomas forced leaders and residents to focus on a serious, long-standing problem, said Fullerton resident Rusty Kennedy, chairman of the task force and executive director of the Orange County Human Relations Commission.

"I think both in the Rodney King and the Kelly Thomas cases, there were significant steps taken," Kennedy said. "But in both cases, the problems we're facing aren't easily put to rest."

scott.gold@latimes.com

richard.winton@latimes.com

abby.sewell@latimes.com

Staff writer Joel Rubin contributed to this report.

Crime alerts for Sun Valley, Playa Vista and nine other L.A. neighborhoods

Wed, 09 May 2012 03:59:36 -0700

Crime reports are up significantly in 11 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of the latest week of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Eight neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Sun Valley (A) was the most unusual, recording 10 reports compared with a weekly average of 3.5 over the last three months.

Playa Vista (I) topped the list of three neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 10 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 4.0 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for April 29–May 5, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Violent crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Sun Valley	3.5	10
Leimert Park	1.5	5
Adams-Normandie	2.1	6
Jefferson Park	2.4	6
Tujunga	0.8	4
Exposition Park	5.5	10
South Park	5.8	11
Boyle Heights	7.7	16

Property crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Playa Vista	4.0	10
West Adams	7.2	13
Harbor City	9.9	18

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Slain L.A. athlete mistaken for a gang member, prosecutor says

Wed, 09 May 2012 03:34:00 -0700

The 17-year-old football star's skin was black and his backpack red.

Were it not for those colors, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday, Jamiel Shaw II might never have been murdered by an 18th Street gang member eager to earn his stripes.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Allyson Ostrowski said Pedro Espinoza, now 23, shot Shaw execution-style in 2008 thinking he was a Bloods gang member because he was African American and was carrying a red Spider-Man backpack.

Shaw, who played for Los Angeles High School, was killed in March of that year just a few houses away from his Arlington Heights home. His father heard the gunshots and ran out to find his son bleeding on the pavement.

Shaw was on his cellphone talking to his girlfriend, who testified that she heard a voice ask, "Where are you from?" before the phone went dead.

In closing arguments Tuesday capping a weeklong trial, Ostrowski alleged that the voice belonged to Espinoza, who just 28 hours earlier had been released after serving time for an earlier gang-related incident in which he threatened a man with a gun. Espinoza belonged to a clique that constituted the "most violent of the most violent" among 18th Street gang members, she said.

In addition to numerous 18th Street tattoos, Espinoza had "BK" — standing for "Blood Killer" — inked on the side of his neck, the prosecutor told jurors.

When Espinoza saw Shaw's backpack, Ostrowski said, he took him to be a member of the Rollin 20's Bloods. And before Shaw could respond to his question, he shot the athlete in the stomach, then walked around his body and fired a second round into his head, Ostrowski told jurors.

"That second shot to Jamiel's head, that's an execution, that's a demonstration of this defendant's intent to kill," she said.

Espinoza faces a first-degree murder charge, with allegations that he was acting in association with a criminal street gang. He is not accused of a hate crime. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Ostrowski cited the testimony of a young woman who said Espinoza and a second gang member were in her car when they spotted Shaw. Espinoza jumped out, saying, "I'll be right back." After shots were fired, he got back in the car, and the other gang member remarked: "Damn ... you a killer," according to the woman's testimony.

"Yeah, I'm a killer, like 'Kid,' " she said Espinoza responded as they drove away, referring to a notorious 18th Streeter who was behind a mass shooting of rival gang members and police.

The statement, the prosecutor contended, was "adoptive admission" that he had in fact murdered Shaw.

Espinoza's attorney, Csaba Palfi, emphasized for jurors inconsistencies among witnesses' accounts and the prosecution's failure to produce a murder weapon. An eyewitness testified that the shooter wore a black hooded sweat shirt, while two others who saw Espinoza around the same time said he was wearing a light-colored T-shirt, Palfi said.

He also said that if his client was guilty of the shooting, he would not have reported to his probation officer and registered as a gang member in the days immediately after the incident.

"Does a guilty man walk into the lion's den?" Palfi said.

For Shaw, a running back who was being courted by Stanford and Rutgers, the shooting came at the end of a typical teenage boy's day. After football practice, he took the bus to the Beverly Center with a friend. On the way back, they ate at Chipotle, flirted with some girls and ran late because they got on the wrong bus.

His mother, Army Sgt. Anita Shaw, watched from the audience in full uniform as photos of the bloody scene were projected onto a large screen. Her son was a fun-loving teenager who would playfully sit on her lap even though he towered a head taller than she did, she recalled.

"We kept waiting for him to come through the door, like it was a bad dream," she said outside court. "Now, we're just there like zombies in the house."

victoria.kim@latimes.com

Tour de theft targets high-end racing bikes

Wed, 09 May 2012 02:38:00 -0700

Jet Tanner was sound asleep in his Irvine home on a March night when he was awakened by the sound of crashing glass.

He ran to the front of the house just as the thieves were pulling away. They left a computer and a flat-screen television. In fact, the only thing they took was his 14-year-old daughter Millie's cyclocross team bicycle, worth more than $5,000 and custom made for her competitive racing.

"She was crying. She was devastated," Tanner recalled. "She couldn't believe they took her bicycle and equipment and left everything else."

In a place known for sophisticated jewelry heists, fine-art thieves and "the Bling Ring," it was only a matter of time before Southern California produced a crew who ripped off high-end bicycles.

Authorities say that Millie was a victim of a group of thieves who for more than two years snatched nearly 200 expensive bikes with an estimated total value of $250,000.

Detectives said the thieves scanned Craigslist and Facebook to identify targets, making away with designer racing bikes worth $2,000 to $15,000 each.

They allegedly preyed on the growing online community of Los Angeles bike enthusiasts who share photos about rides and their latest bike acquisitions on various websites and look for parts on Craigslist.

The victims, detectives say, include teenagers like Millie, bike club members, long-distance road racers and triathletes spanning six Southern California counties.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Major Crimes Bureau has arrested three men accused of being at the center of the bike-stealing ring. Two brothers from Los Angeles, Julian Herrera, 23, and Jamie Herrera, 21, and a Colton man identified as 34-year-old Alberto Mejia face dozens of counts of burglary and conspiracy after authorities reported finding purloined bikes and bike parts at various locations including one of the suspect's homes.

Tanner quickly realized that the thieves found him through a Craigslist ad he placed earlier this year for one of his own racing bikes. He had listed his Pinarello road bike for sale for several thousand dollars in hopes of raising more money for his daughter's racing team.

Someone responded to the ad, and Tanner said he set up a time to meet at his Irvine home. But the man canceled. Two weeks later, the burglary occurred.

The thieves made away with Millie's custom racing bike, adorned with a her nickname "Milliegoat" and some sponsors' logos.

"Bikes like this can be found at the store, but to build them to this caliber would cost between $5,000 and $10,000," he said.

Authorities say the crew was operating on the Westside perhaps as far back as 2009.

When they were released after a few weeks in jail, the high-end bike thefts resumed over a wider territory with help from the Internet, detectives say.

Authorities allege that the suspects began scouring Craigslist and bike websites looking for expensive bicycles for sale. They allegedly chatted with the owners, using fake names like Joe Wayne, Justin Vyor and Mark Silverstein.

Sheriff's Lt. Kent Wegener said the suspects tried to glean more information about the kind of bikes the sellers owned and where they rode. They even persuaded some sellers to email additional photos. If they got names of the sellers, they logged into Facebook in search of more information. They also used Facebook to find fellow riders who could become future targets, Wegener said.

And they appeared to know what to look for.

Although the names Cannondale, Cervelo, Orbea or Tommaso may not mean much to some, in the world of cycling they represent the creme de la creme of carbon fiber or titanium bike frames that can cost more than $8,000. Together with Zipp brand wheels retailing for $3,000 a pair or Di2 digital shifters, which can cost several thousand dollars more, the price can be comparable to a used car.

The stolen bikes were delivered to the owner of a Los Angeles cycling shop. The owner of the shop, who is under investigation but cooperating with detectives, purchased the bikes for several hundred dollars each. The bikes were stripped of their valuable components and resold, Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Maher said.

Detectives recovered several dozen bikes that had not been stripped. Some have already been returned to their owners.

Growth in high-end bicycles and the parts industry has taken off over the last decade, fueled by improving and affordable technology as well as publicity surrounding the string of victories by American Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France and other international biking events

"In the realm of toys that you can buy, whether it's fast cars, boats or horses, most professionals can actually go out and buy the same equipment that's used at the very highest end of the sport," said Rich Sawiris, who owns the custom wheel manufacturing company Wheelbuilder.com "You can't do that with Formula I racing. That would very expensive."

Officials said the break in the case occurred by pure luck in early March when an off-duty sheriff's sergeant was leaving his Santa Clarita Valley home about 4 a.m.

He noticed three men drive by in a silver Nissan Murano with a bike rack. He became suspicious and wrote down the license plate number. A few days later, the sergeant was talking to a neighbor who told him that two of his bikes had been stolen.

He called detectives, who say they linked the SUV to the suspects.

"These crimes were specific, deliberate and quick," Wegener said. "They were also very brazen."

andrew.blankstein@latimes.com

Threats made to 2 Southwest flights with ties to O.C., Phoenix

Tue, 08 May 2012 22:32:32 -0700

Two Southwest Airlines flights with ties to Orange County and Phoenix were stopped Tuesday night after threats were made to the planes, authorities told The Times.

The first incident began about 7:30 p.m. after flight 1184 arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport from John Wayne Airport, the FBI said.

The plane was taken to an isolated area of the airport after authorities received an unspecified threat, said Special Agent Manuel Johnson of the FBI's Phoenix division.

He said the plane was searched, passengers were screened again and the flight was cleared. It was headed to Tulsa, Okla.

About an hour later, Southwest flight 811 at John Wayne Airport was taken to an isolation area after authorities received a bomb threat, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Lt. Joe Balicki told The Times the "phone threat was received by an outside agency."

"It was preparing to take off," he said. The flight was bound for Phoenix.

Bomb squad members searched the plane Tuesday night but found no explosive device.

The FBI was probing both incidents. "As to whether the two were related, clearly that's under investigation," FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller in Los Angeles said.

Southwest spokeswoman Ashley Dillon said that no passengers were injured and that the flight leaving Orange County was cleared for takeoff. However, the flight was cancelled because of a noise curfew at the airport, she said.

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Plan would allow CSU foundations to pay president salary raises

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--Andrew Blankstein (twitter.com/anblanx) and Robert J. Lopez (twitter.com/LAJourno)

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Bomb threat on Southwest flight at John Wayne Airport

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:50:08 -0700

Authorities Tuesday night detained a Southwest Airlines plane at John Wayne Airport after receiving a bomb threat.

The plane was taken to an isolated area, and a bomb squad prepared to search the aircraft, the Orange County Sheriff's Department said.

The incident began after a "phone threat was received by an outside agency," said Lt. Joe Balicki of the Sheriff's Department.

The incident was reported about 8:30 p.m. No additional details were immediately available.

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L.A. renters' group fights Villaraigosa's bid to hike parking fines

Plan would allow CSU foundations to pay president salary raises

D.A. says race was motive in killing of football star Jamiel Shaw II

--Andrew Blankstein (twitter.com/anblanx) and Robert J. Lopez (twitter.com/LAJourno)

O.C. man charged with slitting dog's throat gets 5 years

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:10:57 -0700

A Stanton man was sentenced Tuesday to five years in state prison for killing his dog by slitting its throat and for setting fires inside his home.

Jaime Arturo Garcia, 31, was charged with giving his 7-year-old dog Dexter, a dachsund mix, various pills before cutting him with a large kitchen knife on July 24, 2011.

The bleeding dog ran around the home and into the bedroom, where it died on Garcia's bed, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Garcia was also charged with setting fires in his home by lighting piles of clothing.

One of Garcia's sisters arrived at the home and called 911 after smelling smoke. Authorities found Dexter in the bedroom, prosecutors said.

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Plan would allow CSU foundations to pay president salary raises

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— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Jaime Arturo Garcia. Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

Kelly Thomas died from chest, facial injuries, coroner says

Tue, 08 May 2012 19:12:03 -0700

<&&&&&&&&&&&&&&> A coroner’s pathologist testified that Kelly Thomas, the mentally ill homeless man who was beaten by police last summer, died from chest compression and blunt-force facial injuries.

The testimony, coming in the second day of a preliminary hearing to determine whether two police officers should stand trial for his death, came as defense attorneys questioned whether the medics who treated Thomas – and not the officers – might have inflicted fatal injuries while trying to insert a breathing tube.

The hearing, which has orbited around a graphic and disturbing video of officers pummeling Kelly outside a bus depot in downtown Fullerton, has at times been difficult for spectators to watch.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas death

When the video was played for the first time Monday, some in the courtroom walked out, and the judge stopped the tape when others began groaning.

On Tuesday, when autopsy photos of Thomas were flashed on a screen, his face broken and battered, his father stood up and left the courtroom.

The cause of Thomas' death has been at the center of the hearing, in which Officer Manuel Ramos and Cpl. Jay Cicinelli are charged -- Ramos with second-degree murder, Cicinelli with involuntary manslaughter.

Testifying in the preliminary hearing for the Fullerton police officers, the pathologist, Dr. Aruna Singhania, showed the graphic images of the dead man -- pointing out bruises and wounds on Thomas' body.

Singhana testified that she reviewed medical records and came to the conclusion that Thomas had died because of chest compression. Singhania said that finding was based on hospital records, the video and her own examination.

Earlier, a trauma surgeon was challenged to review the video and pinpoint the moment when a police officer might have delivered a fatal blow.

"Is there a particular act that actually had the effect?" asked John Barnett, the attorney for Ramos.

UC Irvine surgeon Michael Lekawa, however, said the damage was probably cumulative and that as more physical effort was used to subdue Thomas, who on the video is heard complaining of having difficulty breathing, it would lead to inadequate oxygen levels in the blood.

"It happened over time," said the head of trauma surgery at UCI.

Barnett continued showing snippets of the graphic video and, by the 19-minute mark in the 32-minute tape, the surgeon said that the moment might have been when the video showed an officer on Thomas' torso.

Lekawa said he believed "200 pounds of weight is enough" to cause chest compression and a deadly lack of oxygen.

The surgeon testified "he appears to be struggling to breathe" at the 20-minute mark in the video. At that moment, Thomas is shocked with a Taser and struck several times with the butt of the Taser.

Cicinelli's attorney, Michael Schwartz, asked the surgeon whether he had heard of any player dying of a lack of oxygen during a football game after players piled on them.

Lekawa said he had not.

The grainy black-and-white video of Thomas’ violent tangle with police is the centerpiece of the prosecution’s case that the officers escalated a standard police encounter with a homeless man into a fatal beating.

At one point, Thomas screams out: “Dad, they are killing me.”

--Richard Winton

Bank robber, 75, sentenced in San Diego

Tue, 08 May 2012 17:54:47 -0700

A 75-year-old man was sentenced in San Diego federal court Tuesday to four years, three months in prison after admitting to four bank robberies. But officials were quick to point out that he is not considered the celebrated/infamous Geezer Bandit.

Albert Joseph Wallake pleaded guilty to robbing a Bank of America branch twice in 2007 and a U.S. Bank branch twice in 2011. Along with the prison sentence, District Judge Robert T. Benitez ordered Wallake to pay restitution of $2,105 to the Bank of America and $10,400 to U.S. Bank.

Before Wallake was arrested, the FBI gave the bank robber the nickname of the Bird Leg Bandit because of his lean, rather bow-legged appearance.

The Geezer Bandit is still at large after 16 bank robberies from August 2009 to last December. He has robbed 11 banks in San Diego County and banks in Temecula, Bakersfield, Goleta, Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo.

Whether the Geezer Bandit is truly a man between 60 and 70 years old or a younger man wearing a theatrical mask is open to debate.

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Bird Leg Bandit seen on surveillance camera robbing a U.S. Bank branch in November 2011, a crime for which Albert Joseph Wallake has been convicted. Credit: FBI

Marine found dead at Camp Pendleton

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:54:33 -0700

A 23-year-old Marine has been found dead at Camp Pendleton.

Lance Cpl. Michael Ronner, of Sudbury, Mass., was found at 9:15 a.m. Monday. Paramedics were unable to revive him. Officials declined to release details about the death.

The death is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Ronner was assigned to the 9th Communications Battalion, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

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--Tony Perry in San Diego

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Kelly Thomas' father walks out as autospy photos are shown

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:28:00 -0700

As images of the battered face of Kelly Thomas were shown in an Orange County courtroom Tuesday, the homeless man's father stood up and walked out of court, unable to look at the gruesome photos.

The autopsy photos were shown during testimony from a county coroner's pathologist, who said Thomas died of brain death, acute bronchial pneumonia and blunt force cranial injury.

But the cause of Thomas' death after he was beaten by police outside a downtown Fullerton bus depot has come under scrutiny during a preliminary hearing to determine whether Officer Manuel Ramos and Cpl. Jay Cicinelli should stand trial -- Ramos for second-degree murder, Cicinelli for involuntary manslaughter.

When the first photo went up, Thomas' father left the courtroom. Ramos watched the images projected on a screen. Cicinelli never looked up.

Singhania testified that she reviewed medical records and came to the conclusion that Thomas had died because of chest compression. Singhania said that finding was based on hospital records, the video and her own examination.

Under cross-examination, she acknowledged initially not knowing what the cause of death was beyond an enlarged heart and pneumonia. But a microscopic examination, she said, confirmed that the bruises were the same age and that Thomas' heart did not show signs of disease.

"I only make a decision after getting everything together," she said.

Defense lawyers asked if the coroner's staff agreed on the cause of death.

"There was never a disagreement on the cause of death," Singhania said.

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-- Richard Winton

Photo: An image from a security tape of the July 5 encounter between Kelly Thomas and police. Credit: Associated Press

Car linked to missing teen Sierra LaMar reportedly found

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:31:34 -0700

Investigators have found the red Volkswagen Jetta linked to the disappearance of a 15-year-old Santa Clara County girl.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that the car had been found, but Sgt. Jose Cardoza of the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office declined to elaborate on the details, including when or where the vehicle was found.

"It's still an open investigation," Cardoza told the newspaper. "They don't want to compromise the investigation."

Authorities said earlier this week the car, distinct because of its black hood, was seen at the time and place where Sierra LaMar disappeared the morning of March 16 near Palm and Doughtery avenues in unincorporated Morgan Hill.

Surveillance cameras from buses and area businesses also spotted the car near where other evidence in the case was found, Cardoza said.

Investigators believe the Sobrato High School cheerleader was abducted while walking to a bus stop near her home. Her cellphone was found on the side of the road about a mile from her home in the opposite direction of the bus stop.

Dive teams are searching private ponds in the area along with two reservoirs, the Mercury News reported. However, Cardoza said there was no information “indicating she is no longer alive.”

"Sometimes no news is good news," he told the newspaper.

Detectives ask anyone with information to call the sheriff’s office at (408) 808-4500 or leave an anonymous tip at (408) 808-4431.

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D.A. says race was motive in killing of football star Jamiel Shaw II

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— Kate Mather

twitter.com/katemather

Photo: Posters bearing images of missing 15-year-old Sierra LaMar were signed at Burnett Elementary School in unincorporated Morgan Hill last month. Credit: Ben Margot / Associated Press

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Kelly Thomas: Defense demands proof police killed homeless man

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:20:45 -0700

An attorney representing two Fullerton police officers charged in the death of a mentally ill homeless man challenged a trauma surgeon Tuesday to review the graphic video of Kelly Thomas’ beating and pinpoint the moment when a police officer might have delivered a fatal blow.

Defense attorneys for the Fullerton officers are challenging whether it was the officers or the medics who later treated Thomas who caused his death last July after the violent encounter outside a bus depot.

"Is there a particular act that actually had the effect?" asked John Barnett, the attorney for Manuel Ramos, one of the two officers charged in the case.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas death

UCI surgeon Michael Lekawa, however, said the damage was probably cumulative and that as more physical effort was used to subdue Thomas, who on the video is heard complaining of having difficulty breathing, it would lead to inadequate oxygen levels in the blood.

"It happened over time," said the head of trauma surgery at UCI.

Dist. Atty Tony Rackauckas, who is handling the prosecution’s case, objected to the repeated questions. "He says he cannot say moment by moment," the D.A. said.

Lekawa said he believe "200 pounds of weight is enough" to cause chest compression and a deadly lack of oxygen.

The surgeon testified "he appears to be struggling to breathe" at the 20-minute mark in the video. At that moment, Thomas is shocked with a Taser and struck several times with the butt of the Taser by Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter and excessive force.

Cicinelli's attorney, Michael Schwartz, asked the surgeon whether he had heard of any player dying of a lack of oxygen during a football game after players piled on them.

Lekawa said he had not.

Ramos and Cicinelli are charged in Kelly’s death -– Ramos with second-degree murder and Cicinelli with involuntary manslaughter. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Tuesday’s testimony comes a day after a dramatic video of Thomas’ encounter with police was shown in court.

At one point, Thomas –- a 37-year-old mentally ill homeless man who was a familiar face in the city’s downtown -– screams out: “Dad, they are killing me.”

The video and the sound of fists and a baton connecting with Thomas was graphic enough that several spectators in the courtroom left, and the judge paused the video at one point as some in the audience began to groan. He cautioned that those who couldn’t watch the video should leave.

The case has rocked the north Orange County city, where scores of people have protested, staged memorials and held a recent birthday celebration for Thomas.

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--Richard Winton

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L.A. NOW

Southern California -- this just in

Kelly Thomas: Defense demands proof police killed homeless man

"Is there a particular act that actually had the effect?" asked John Barnett, the attorney for Manuel Ramos, one of the two officers charged in the case.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas death

"It happened over time," said the head of trauma surgery at UCI.

Dist. Atty Tony Rackauckas, who is handling the prosecution’s case, objected to the repeated questions. "He says he cannot say moment by moment," the D.A. said.

Lekawa said he believe "200 pounds of weight is enough" to cause chest compression and a deadly lack of oxygen.

Email: newstips@latimes.com

Twitter: @lanow

Facebook: Los Angeles Times Local News

More in: Crime and courts, Kelly Thomas, Orange County

D.A. says race was motive in killing of football star Jamiel Shaw II

The 17-year-old football star’s skin was black and his backpack red.

Were it not for those colors, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday, Jamiel Shaw II might never have been murdered by an 18th Street gang member eager to earn his stripes. Deputy Dist. Atty. Allyson Ostrowski said that Pedro Espinoza, now 23, shot Shaw in 2008 in an execution manner thinking he was a member of the Bloods.

Shaw, a running back and defensive back for Los Angeles High School, was killed in March of that year just a few houses away from his Arlington Heights home. His father heard the gunshots and ran out to find his son bleeding onto the pavement. Shaw was on his cellphone talking to his girlfriend, who heard a voice ask “Where are you from” before the phone went dead.

In closing arguments Tuesday capping a weeklong trial, Ostrowski alleged that the voice belonged to Espinoza, who just 28 hours earlier had been released from custody after serving time for an earlier gang-related incident in which he threatened a man with a gun. Espinoza belonged to a clique that constituted the “most violent of the most violent” among 18th Street gang members, she said.

In addition to numerous 18th Street tattoos, Espinoza had “BK” inked on the side of his neck -– standing for “Blood Killer,” the prosecutor told jurors.

When Espinoza saw the red on Shaw’s Spider-Man backpack, Ostrowski said, he took him to be a member of the Rollin 20’s Bloods. And before Shaw could respond to his question, he shot Shaw in the stomach, then walked around his body and fired a second into his head, Ostrowski told jurors.

“That second shot to Jamiel’s head, that’s an execution, that’s a demonstration of this defendant’s intent to kill,” she said.

Attorneys for Espinoza are scheduled to give their closing arguments Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

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— Victoria Kim

Photo: Jamiel Shaw II in family photo.

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Email: newstips@latimes.com

Twitter: @lanow

Facebook: Los Angeles Times Local News

More in: Crime and courts, Homicide Report, Tablet

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Steve Lopez: Austin Buetner was stirring things up at City Hall

When I met with him a few weeks ago, I asked Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner if he really wanted to sacrifice time with his wife and four kids -– aged between 15 and 9 -– to devote full attention to the unimaginably demanding task of running the nation’s second-largest city.

He told me he had discussed it with his wife and kids, thought he could do both jobs well at the same time, and that he wanted to show his kids that if you think you can perform a public service and improve the lives of others, you do it.

Now Beutner has suddenly dropped out of the race, saying in a statement, “my own needs at this time are for me to be engaged with my family in a way which is at odds with the demands of a campaign.”

So what happened?

“For me, family comes first,” he said by phone just moments ago.

Neither his wife nor his kids asked him to get off the trail and come home, he said.

“It’s mostly me. I mean, my kids were supportive and my wife has been supportive, and it was me saying, ‘Wait a minute.’ I knew it was a delicate balancing act, but with the passage of time and just a few telling moments,” he realized that when it comes to family, “you can’t put time back on the clock.”

Email: newstips@latimes.com

Twitter: @lanow

Facebook: Los Angeles Times Local News

Austin Beutner confirms his exit from L.A. mayor's race

Former investment banker Austin Beutner has confirmed that he is abandoning his bid for Los Angeles mayor. In an email to supporters Tuesday afternoon, Beutner said he is dropping out of the race to spend more time with his family.

"It's a 110% commitment to be a candidate," Beutner said in an interview. "I don’t want to look back and wish I had spent more time with my kids."

He said his weak showing in recent opinion polls did not prompt the decision. A survey last month by the Center for the Study of Los Angeles found that only 2% of voters who had an opinion about the mayor's race said they would vote for him.

Beutner said he had been prepared to use his personal wealth to introduce himself to voters. "Name ID is relatively easy to buy and we had the resources to buy it," he said. "But it’s all about where I am right now, and where I need to be is with my family. "

Email: newstips@latimes.com

Twitter: @lanow

Facebook: Los Angeles Times Local News

More in: Antonio Villaraigosa, Government, Politics/Elections

Hit-and-run suspect sought by police turns himself in

The driver suspected of seriously injuring a 57-year-old Los Angeles woman and her 5-year-old foster son in a hit-and-run last week was arrested Monday after turning himself into authorities.

Steve Smith, 43, was booked in the Metropolitan Detention Center on felony charges of hit-and-run, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Detectives on Saturday sought the public’s help in finding Smith, a day after he allegedly hit the woman and child as they crossed Broadway at 41st Street. Investigators said the driver of the silver 1991 Toyota Previa initially stopped, but fled on foot before identifying himself or helping the pair, as required by law.

The woman and her son, whose names have not been released, were in stable condition at an area hospital following the incident, police said.

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Photo: Steve Smith. Credit: LAPD

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'Dad, they are killing me!': Video portrays violent death of Kelly Thomas

Bait Car TV show sting turns tables on L.A. County sheriff's detective

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L.A. renters' group fights Villaraigosa's bid to hike parking fines [Updated]

D.A. says skin color, backpack led to Jamiel Shaw's slaying

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:21:38 -0700

The 17-year-old football star’s skin was black and his backpack red.

In addition to numerous 18th Street tattoos, Espinoza had “BK” inked on the side of his neck -– standing for “Blood Killer,” the prosecutor told jurors.

“That second shot to Jamiel’s head, that’s an execution, that’s a demonstration of this defendant’s intent to kill,” she said.

Attorneys for Espinoza are scheduled to give their closing arguments Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

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— Victoria Kim

Photo: Jamiel Shaw II in family photo.

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Hit-and-run suspect sought by police turns himself in

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:47:16 -0700

The driver suspected of seriously injuring a 57-year-old Los Angeles woman and her 5-year-old foster son in a hit-and-run last week was arrested Monday after turning himself into authorities.

Steve Smith, 43, was booked in the Metropolitan Detention Center on felony charges of hit-and-run, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The woman and her son, whose names have not been released, were in stable condition at an area hospital following the incident, police said.

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Alleged stalker shows up at Mila Kunis' gym three times, LAPD says

— Kate Mather

twitter.com/katemather

Photo: Steve Smith. Credit: LAPD

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Alleged stalker shows up at Mila Kunis' gym three times, LAPD says

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:34:40 -0700

The 27-year-old man accused of stalking actress Mila Kunis is being evaluated at an area hospital after he was found outside Kunis’ gym Friday for the third day in a row, police said.

Kunis’ assistant filed a police report Thursday after the man, identified by police as Stuart Dunn, made his second appearance at the gym. Officers were called to the gym about 11 a.m. Friday and found Dunn there a third time.

They detained Dunn at the scene before taking him to the hospital, the Los Angeles Police Department reported Tuesday.

Earlier this year, a judge ordered Dunn to stay away from the actress after he was arrested the night of Jan. 19 while attempting to break into her West Hollywood home. Dunn pleaded no contest and was also sentenced to 36 months of probation.

Police said Dunn broke into Kunis’ home “in an attempt to meet her.”

An investigation into the case is ongoing.

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Austin Beutner dropping out of L.A. mayor's race, friends say

— Kate Mather

twitter.com/katemather

Photo: Actress Mila Kunis at an April 24 presentation of her upcoming film, "Oz: The Great and Powerful." Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press

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Former Glendale councilman indicted on embezzlement charges

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:24:41 -0700

Former Glendale Councilman John Drayman has been indicted on charges that he embezzled between $304,000 and $880,000 from the weekly farmers market in Montrose.

In the indictment filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, prosecutors also allege that Drayman falsified tax returns to hide the embezzlement, which they say occurred between 2004 and 2011.

Drayman, who was arraigned on the felony charges at a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, pleaded not guilty to the charges. They include one count of embezzlement, 10 counts of filing false tax returns, five counts of money laundering, three counts of forgery, one count filing a false financial statement and eight counts of perjury by declaration, the Glendale News-Press reported.

His bail was set at $200,000.

Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Susan Schwartz said in court that the evidence "shows he definitely put that money into his own bank account."

She also alleged that Drayman repeatedly lied to authorities during the course of the investigation. Drayman was not immediately available for comment as he conferred with a number of supporters who packed the courtroom.

The indictment caps a months-long Glendale police investigation into allegations of embezzlement brought by the Montrose Shopping Park Assn., which operates the Harvest Market every Sunday.

The event had been logging steady losses as early as 2011, when organizers estimated they would lose $52,000 on the venture.

In the years since he helped create the Harvest Market in 2002, Drayman maintained an active role in the market, even after his election to the City Council in 2007.

But amid steep revenue losses, the association's board of directors created a "Harvest Market Oversight Committee" in April 2011 and instituted a new procedure for collecting and recording weekly cash payments from vendors. Around the same time, Drayman was removed from his role in helping with the event for which some vendors said he collected cash payments.

A few months later, the association started reporting massive market revenue spikes -- a turnaround Executive Director Dale Dawson called a "wonderful mystery."

By December of that year, the Montrose Shopping Park Assn. was forecasting a profit on the market of roughly $130,000 for 2012 -- or nearly half the group's operating budget.

Drayman has also been under fire for failing to file proper permits for a massive renovation of his condominium.

Drayman has since been working to secure proper building permits for the disputed $213,000 renovation, which was originally reported to the city as being worth $30,000 -- an error he has blamed on the contractor, National Fire Systems & Services Inc.

The work has been mired in controversy amid allegations that National Fire Systems & Services performed the work at the behest of Advanced Development Inc., an affordable housing developer that allegedly bilked millions from Glendale and other cities by overbilling for construction.

Since that time, Drayman has paid about $2,819 in permit fees and fines to legalize the project. City officials say they continue to work with him on legalizing the work.

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-- Jason Wells, Veronica Rocha and Brittany Levine, Times Community News

Photo: Former Glendale City Councilman John Drayman arrives at the C.S. Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles to be arraigned on charges on Tuesday. Credit: Raul Roa / Times Community News

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Station Fire response damaged golf course, lawsuit alleges

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:18:55 -0700

Add another item to the list of damages from the huge 2009 Station fire: the pumps for the golf course lakes at the La Canada Flintridge Country Club.

In a lawsuit filed Monday against the federal government, the club says the pilots of firefighting helicopters should have used more care when they drew from the lakes that provided water for the course's irrigation system.

The helicopters sucked so much water that the pumps sucked sludge from the lake bottoms and their motors burned out, according to the U.S. District Court suit. Wind drafts from the hovering choppers also blew sand out of the course bunkers and broke tree stakes. The repair bill, plus the cost of water to refill the lakes, amounted to $49,528.81.

The club filed a claim for the damages, which the U.S. Forest Service denied last November, prompting the legal action.

[Updated at 12:50 p.m.: "We’re hoping they'll just pay the claim," said attorney Burton Mark Senkfor, who is representing the club. The Forest Service said it does not comment on pending litigation.]

The Station fire, which erupted a couple of miles from the club, was the largest wildfire in Los Angeles County history. It scorched more that 250 square miles of the Angeles National Forest, destroyed more than 200 buildings and caused the death of two county firefighters.

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Kelly Thomas: Medics, not cops, to blame for death, defense says

-- Bettina Boxall

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Investigation: Hollywood parcel gained value as property taxes were slashed

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Fate of North Hollywood church’s burial ground uncertain

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:05:30 -0700

The ashes of 17 people are buried in the rose garden at St. David's Anglican Church in North Hollywood, but the burial ground's future is uncertain as the church continues a long-running property battle with the Episcopal Church, from which it disaffiliated years ago.

In a disagreement over the Episcopal Church's biblical interpretations and views on homosexuality, St. David's -- along with All Saints Church in Long Beach and St. James Church in Newport Beach -- seceded from the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the national church in 2004.

What has followed has been years of litigation over the rightful ownership of the breakaway churches' buildings and property. An Orange County Superior Court judge is expected on Wednesday to rule on a motion that could determine who owns the memorial garden and the churches in North Hollywood and Long Beach.

The memorial garden, built around 1996, was the idea of Father Jose Poch, the priest at St. David's, after his mother was buried on church grounds in Houston when she died in 1995. The church burial meant so much to Poch's family that he wanted to offer the same opportunity to St. David's.

Poch is concerned that, if the diocese wins the legal battle and sells the property, the memorial garden will be removed or paved. Should that happen, it would be difficult to respectfully deal with the remains because the ashes of each person have been placed directly into the ground, not in a container, Poch said.

The Los Angeles Diocese has not yet decided what will become of the property, including the memorial garden, if the court rules in its favor, said Robert Williams, a diocese spokesman.

"The Episcopal Church has centuries of experience with the respectful and appropriate treatment of human remains in accord with church traditions," Williams said.

Though deeds showed St. James owned its property, the congregation had agreed to be part of the national church and was bound by its rules, the court said. The Episcopal Church in 1979 adopted a rule that made clear local parishes owned their properties only as long as they remained within the larger body.

St. James has continued its fight in the trial court in Orange County.

St. Luke's of the Mountains Church in La Crescenta, which left the Episcopal Church in 2006, lost its battle against the Los Angeles diocese later in 2009. The congregation was forced to leave its landmark stone church.

At a hearing on Wednesday, an Orange County Superior Court judge is expected to rule on a motion for summary judgement filed by the Episcopal Church in its cases against St. David's and All Saints in Long Beach.

The Episcopal Church contends that a ruling should be issued now based on the 2009 Supreme Court ruling, said John Shiner, an attorney for the diocese. If the motions are granted, the cases will be over, unless the churches decide to appeal, he said.

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-- Hailey Branson-Potts

Photo: The ashes of Bill Coburn's wife, Marian, are buried at St. David's Anglican Church in North Hollywood. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

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Coroner confirms alcohol, Valium killed Thomas Kinkade

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:10:45 -0700

The Santa Clara County coroner's office formally announced the cause of death for famed artist Thomas Kinkade on Tuesday.

Officials told the Associated Press that Kinkade died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium. The coroner cited "ethanol and Diazepam intoxication, or in common terms, alcohol and the tranquilizer often marketed as Valium," according to AP.

Kinkade, known as the "Painter of Light," died April 6 at his home in Monte Sereno, a community near Los Gatos in the Bay Area.

PHOTOS: The work of Thomas Kinkade

Millions of Kinkade's paintings and prints hang in homes around the world, popularity that translated into more than $50 million in earnings for the artist from 1997 to 2005 alone. Lauded for his generosity, he once gave an Anaheim widow $25,000 worth of his art to replace what she'd lost in a fire.

Kinkade’s brother Patrick told the Mercury News last month that years of mean-spirited personal attacks on the painter and a split from his wife and four daughters had worn Kinkade down. That led to a battle with alcoholism over the last four to five years, according to the report.

The paper reported earlier that Kinkade's girlfriend had told police that the painter had been drinking heavily before his death.

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— Robert J. Lopez and Shelby Grad

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Artist Thomas Kinkade unveils his painting "Prayer for Peace" in Atlanta on Sept. 15, 2006. Credit: Gene Blythe / Associated Press

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'Dad, they are killing me!': Video portrays violent death of Kelly Thomas

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Kelly Thomas: Medics, not cops, to blame for death, defense says

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:04:33 -0700

The lawyer for one of the Fullerton policemen charged in the beating of a mentally ill homeless man suggested Tuesday that it was medical professionals –- not police officers -– who are to blame for the death of Kelly Thomas.

In the second day of a preliminary hearing to determine whether two police officers should be ordered to stand trial for killing Thomas outside a bus depot in July, defense attorney John Barnett questioned a trauma surgeon about the treatment the beating victim received after he was rushed to St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton.

Dr. Michael Lekawa acknowledged under questioning from Barnett that paramedics had informed him that doctors at St. Jude hospital had struggled to insert a breathing tube in Thomas following the July 5 incident. Lekawa said that if a breathing tube is not inserted quickly it can lead to a low oxygen level in the blood, and eventually death.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas death

But Lekawa, the chief trauma surgeon at UCI -- where Thomas was later transfered -- said records did not show such a problem.

"They did everything right," he testified.

A coroner's report found that Kelly had suffered mechanical compression –- pressure on the body leading to a lack of oxygen and eventual brain death.

Officer Manuel Ramos and Cpl. Jay Cicinelli are charged in Kelly’s death -– Ramos with second-degree murder and Cicinelli with involuntary manslaughter. Both have pleaded not guilty.

The surgeon said he was not initially aware of the officers' actions in the field but once he saw what had occurred he understood how Thomas could have sustained enough compression by the weight of the officers that it caused a lack of oxygen to the brain.

The testimony comes a day after a dramatic video of Thomas’ encounter with police was shown in court.

At one point, Thomas –- a 37-year-old mentally ill homeless man who was a familiar face in the city’s downtown -– screams out: “Dad, they are killing me.”

The video and the sound of fists and a baton connecting with Thomas was graphic enough that several spectators in the courtroom left and the judge paused the video at one point as some in the audience began to groan.

He cautioned that those who couldn’t stomach the video should leave.

The case has rocked the north Orange County city, where scores of people have protested, staged memorials and even held a recent public birthday for Kelly Thomas.

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Investigation: Hollywood parcel gained value as property taxes were slashed

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Patient killed by fellow patient at care facility, police say

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:57:13 -0700

A Pasadena man told police he killed a fellow patient at a residential care facility on Monday, according to Pasadena Police Lt. Phlunte Riddle.

At around 5 p.m. Monday, police looking into a call of a suspicious death went to Pasadena Residential Care at 1435 N. Garfield Ave.

Once on the scene police were approached by resident Paul Lopez, 38, who said he had killed a fellow resident, a man in his 60s. Lopez did not indicate his motive, according to Riddle.

Lopez was arrested. The victim’s identity has not been released pending notification of the next of kin.

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Investigation: Hollywood parcel gained value as property taxes were slashed

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Japanese consulate official stabbed wife with screwdriver, DA says

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:52:09 -0700

A Japanese consulate official faces felony charges after San Mateo County prosecutors alleged he abused his wife for more than a year, including one instance when he knocked out a tooth and another when he stabbed her hand with a screwdriver.

San Francisco Vice Consul Yoshiaki Nagaya, 32, of San Bruno appeared in front of San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Leland Davis on Monday and pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of domestic violence and three counts of assault, said Dist. Atty. Steve Wagstaffe.

Prosecutors allege Nagaya’s wife of about 18 months called police the night of March 31 after her husband threw her out of a moving car in their apartment’s parking garage.

"She decided enough was enough," Wagstaffe said.

After speaking with the woman, investigators determined the alleged abuse "went far beyond that one night" and had occurred since mid-January 2011, Wagstaffe said. Nagaya’s wife had documentation of the incidents, which officials said began when the couple lived in San Francisco and continued when they moved to San Mateo County.

"With some remarkable foresight, she took photographs each and every time," Wagstaffe said.

The type of abuse, Wagstaffe said, ranges from “punching, beating” to occasions where Nagaya "stomped” on his wife. Prosecutors also allege he knocked out one of her teeth and stabbed her with a screwdriver between her forefinger and thumb.

The woman has no lasting physical injuries, Wagstaffe said.

Both police and prosecutors checked with the U.S. State Department to see if diplomatic immunity would apply to Nagaya. Because the alleged abuse took place in his private life and outside of his work as a consulate official, Wagstaffe said, he was not protected.

Nagaya was out of custody on $25,000 bail before his court appearance Monday. Davis increased the amount to $350,000, but Nagaya posted the new amount in cash.

Deputy Consul General Michio Harada said Nagaya still works at the consulate. Nagaya, who works in the economic section, has been at the consulate for about two years.

"We would like to see how the judicial procedure develops and the outcome of the court," Harada said. "If these charges are true, it would be quite regrettable, but the case has just started."

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— Kate Mather

Photo: Yoshiaki Nagaya. Credit: San Mateo County Sheriff's Department

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Body in Anza-Borrego cave may be lost San Diego student

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:34:48 -0700

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has asked the L.A. County Sheriff's mine rescue team for help recovering a body from a deep cave in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

The San Diego department has "exhausted all other options" in recovering what family members believe is the body of UC San Diego student Guillermo Pino, officials said. The 24-year-old was reported missing April 8 while exploring caves in an area called Arroyo Tapiado during a family outing.

A massive search of the region was unsuccessful, but on Saturday a private investigator hired by the family lowered a video camera into the cave and captured images that appear to show Pino.

The sheriff's department attempted Monday to recover the body but suspended the operation as too dangerous after a state geologist said the mud was unstable.

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Investigation: Hollywood parcel gained value as property taxes were slashed

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Sheriff busts pot-growing operation in Diamond Bar home

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:16:01 -0700

An unusually high electricity meter reading led Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators to a Diamond Bar house where they seized more than 1,000 marijuana plants from an indoor growing operation, CBS Los Angeles reported.

Investigators shut down the greenhouse operation and arrested two men at a $1-million home in the 24000 block of Highcrest Drive, the station reported.

“It’s pretty surprising. It’s a pretty nice community so you wouldn’t expect that to happen here,” neighbor Chris Cadiz told the station.

Sheriff’s investigators said they have made 30 such busts in the last year in the San Gabriel Valley. They estimated there were more than 2,000 plants -– each worth about $2,000 -– at the Diamond Bar house.

Detectives were led there by a tip from Southern California Edison after a technician picked up on the high power reading. They said the house, which they believe was rented, was outfitted with powerful grow lights and an air-filtering system to conceal smells.

“They did a good job concealing it, but you can’t hide that forever,” said Lt. Nick Tippings of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.

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-- From a Times staff writer

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Videotape of Kelly Thomas beating rattles courtroom

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:11:56 -0700

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A videotape showing police beating victim Kelly Thomas elicited gasps and groans in a Santa Ana courtroom on Monday.

At one point, the judge stopped the tape and asked those who could not handle viewing it to leave the courtroom.

A shirtless Kelly Thomas is shown being hit again and again with fists, a baton and finally the butt of a stun gun by Fullerton police officers. In the video he can be heard repeatedly saying he's sorry and asking for his father.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas death

Thomas' father, Ron Thomas, said the hardest part of the video and audio "is the sounds of my son calling out."

The preliminary hearing continues Tuesday with more testimony from medical experts and perhaps some presentation from the defense.

The grainy black-and-white video of Thomas' violent encounter with police outside a bus depot is the centerpiece of the prosecution's case against two officers accused of escalating a standard police encounter with a homeless man into a fatal beating.

At one point, Thomas — a 37-year-old mentally ill homeless man who was a familiar face in the city's downtown — screams out: "Dad, they are killing me!"

The video and the sound of fists and a baton striking Thomas were so graphic that several spectators left the courtroom and the judge paused the video at one point after some people in the audience began to groan. He cautioned that those who couldn't stomach the video should leave.

The case has rocked the north Orange County city where scores of people have protested, staged memorials and even held a recent public birthday celebration for Thomas. During a press conference announcing the charges, Orange County Dist. Atty Tony Rackauckas was brought to tears while discussing the case.

Two officers, Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli, are charged in Kelly's death. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Ramos, 38, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter while Cicinelli, 40, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and excessive force in connection with the July 5 beating of Thomas, who died five days later. If convicted, Ramos faces a potential life sentence; Cicinelli could get four years in prison.

The video, shot by a security camera at the bus depot, initially captures Thomas being detained by Ramos and Officer Joseph Wolfe. Thomas is uncooperative and Ramos appears to grow angry.

"See my fists?" Ramos says.

"Yeah," Thomas replies. "What about 'em?"

"They're getting ready to f— you up," Ramos says while sliding on a pair of latex gloves. The statements and the menacing act of putting on the gloves, Rackauckas said at the preliminary hearing, set the deadly encounter in motion.

Thomas can be heard repeatedly saying "sorry" as Ramos and Wolfe strike him, instructing him to put his hands behind his back. "I am sorry, dude, I can't breathe, dude," he says at one point.

One of the two officers can be seen kneeing Thomas at least once, though some of the activity is obscured by a tree.

"I cannot breathe, man," Thomas says at another point as Wolfe tells him to relax.

When Cicinelli arrives and tells Thomas to stop resisting, the audio captures the sound of a Taser stun gun clicking rapidly as the homeless man growls in pain, his legs seeming to twitch.

At one point, it appears that Cicinelli raises his arm and smacks Thomas in the face or head with the butt of the Taser.

Cicinelli later says, "We ran out of options so I got the end of my Taser and I probably … I just smashed his face to hell. He's on something, dude.... Three of us couldn't even control him."

By the time the confrontation ends, Thomas is lying in a pool of blood. Officers then examine their own wounds as they stand near Thomas, who is handcuffed and on the ground. "You are covered in blood, dude," one officer can be heard saying to Ramos, who claimed Thomas bit him on the leg.

Cicinelli adds: "He is the one you're gonna need to look at."

Thomas suffered brain injuries, a shattered nose, a smashed cheekbone, broken ribs and internal bleeding, according to authorities. But he died of "mechanical compression of the thorax" — his windpipe was crushed.

But attorneys for the two officers sought to portray his medical treatment as the reason for Thomas' death rather than the officers' actions.

John Barnett, Ramos' attorney, asked the fire captain and a trauma surgical chief about whether the initial doctors at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton struggled to insert a tube and clear an airway for him.

"The cause of death might be the treatment he got the hospital?" Barnett asked UC Irvine surgical trauma chief Michael Lekawa, seeking to persuade a judge to dismiss murder and manslaughter charges against his client.

Lekawa acknowledged that he was concerned about medical error until he saw the medical reports and video of the incident.

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'Bait Car' sting turns tables on detective

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

The reality TV show "Bait Car" is supposed to catch car thieves in the act.

Undercover cops park a rigged car on the side of the road, conspicuously leaving the keys inside, while a television crew waits nearby for an unsuspecting passerby to take the bait and steal the car.

But in one recent sting filmed in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the lead detective on the case ended up getting busted instead.

Footage shot for the TruTV program showed 28-year-old Keenan Alex come across a parked, shiny red Cadillac Escalade with the keys in the ignition and the engine running. After he gets inside and drives off, deputies pull him over and cuff him. In court, Det. Anthony Shapiro said under oath that he read Alex each of his Miranda rights from a card in his notebook before the suspect made incriminating statements, a transcript shows.

But unedited video for the program shows the detective never read the suspect his constitutional rights, including the right to remain silent and have an attorney present during questioning.

"You watch TV. You know your rights and all that?" Shapiro asked instead, according to the video reviewed by The Times.

After Shapiro's conduct was discovered, prosecutors dropped the case against Alex and sheriff's investigators launched a criminal perjury investigation of the detective, citing the conflict between his testimony and the video.

Combining law enforcement and reality TV has a long and sometimes controversial history, dating back to the long-running show "Cops." While such programs often record the questionable behavior of suspects, the "Bait Car" case shows the unblinking eye of the camera can also catch potential police wrongdoing.

After reviewing the tape of Alex's arrest, Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher Frisco told a judge in February that Shapiro's contradiction "poses a very severe problem," according to court documents. Explaining why the D.A.'s office agreed to dismiss the case, Frisco said the footage showed that Shapiro had violated Alex's Miranda rights, which prevented the prosecution from using the defendant's incriminating statements. Frisco said prosecutors needed the statements to counter defense arguments that Alex's mental illness played a role in the decision to take the vehicle.

"I believe the statement would be crucial to putting on the case to win a conviction," Frisco told the judge, according to a court transcript.

Alex, whose criminal history includes brandishing a firearm and drug possession, admitted during a probation violation hearing for another case that he took the car. A judge allowed him to remain free as long as he continued taking his psychiatric medication and sought mental health treatment, records show.

Shapiro did not return messages for comment. His captain said the detective could not discuss the matter because it was the subject of an ongoing investigation. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Shapiro has been relieved of duty with pay.

Court documents show Shapiro was almost fired in 2008 over allegations that he received stolen property from a known felon. Internal sheriff's criminal investigators served Shapiro with a search warrant on his home and seized alloy car rims, a bicycle, a Honda generator and a Gibson electric guitar, court records show.

Shapiro denied the items were stolen, saying several came from his brother. Prosecutors declined to file charges, finding insufficient evidence the items were stolen. But after a separate investigation, the Sheriff's Department, which requires a lower standard of proof to impose discipline, moved to fire Shapiro.

The detective appealed the decision, arguing there was no proof the items were stolen, court records show. The department agreed to classify the allegations as "unfounded," while he agreed to a five-day suspension for using law enforcement records to check the criminal histories of two felons, including the man he was alleged to have received stolen property from and one of the detective's neighbors, according to court records.

The department's watchdog found serious flaws in the sheriff's internal investigation. Investigators, including a deputy who had previously worked in the same unit with Shapiro, inadvertently tipped off the detective before executing their search warrant and allowed him to be present for an interview with a key witness, according to a 2010 report by the Office of Independent Review. The report found that "investigative deficiencies hampered a potential criminal prosecution and forced the department to continue to employ a deputy it believed had committed serious crimes."

Shapiro's attorney, Richard A. Shinee, disagreed. "There was no credible evidence that he stole anything, and that's why the case fell apart," he said. Shinee declined comment on the bait car case, citing the ongoing investigation.

During the "Bait Car" case, Alex's defense attorney raised questions about whether the problems she encountered in her case were common in prosecutions resulting from the show.

Deputy Public Defender Priya Bala said she doubted the county was regularly turning over relevant video to defense attorneys, who may be able to use that footage to exonerate their clients. In her case, it took weeks before she was told the arrest had been filmed and an additional six months before the unedited footage was turned over, prompting the judge to rule that the county had failed to disclose evidence in a timely fashion.

The district attorney's office initially said it could not compel the production company to turn over the footage but admitted it could when Bala obtained a copy of the county's contract, which showed Earth Angel Productions had agreed to comply with district attorney requests for unedited footage. Part of the delay, Frisco said in court, was because Shapiro did not return repeated messages left by the prosecutor.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Alex Karkanen, who works with the auto-theft task force, said the county has prosecuted scores of similar bait car cases and never encountered such problems. Defense attorneys and judges, he said, are generally notified that the arrests were filmed for TV and the suspects are aware of the cameras and are asked to sign a waiver by the production crew at the time of their arrest.

Bala also criticized the county's decision to conduct the televised stings at all, saying they wasted taxpayer resources that could better be used on more serious crimes. She said her client, who hallucinates and hears voices, jumped into the bait car while walking to an aunt's house from a residential facility that houses the mentally ill.

"It's disgusting," she said. "Don't they have any real crime to go after?"

Under its contract with the county Board of Supervisors, the production company pays the county at least $22,500 per episode, an additional 10% of the company's profit from the series and other fees, as well as the overtime costs for law enforcement officers working on the stings. In July 2011, when Alex was arrested, the company paid $156,000 in overtime to deputies and police officers from other agencies assigned to the task force during that month, records show.

Whitmore, the sheriff's spokesman, denied the payments are why the department does the stings, saying the televised operations act as a deterrent to car thieves.

"If the general public sees this [TV show], it's going to prevent people from doing it because they won't know if [a] car is a bait car or not," he said.

robert.faturechi@latimes.com

jack.leonard@latimes.com

Onetime Vietnam refugee confirmed to be a federal appeals judge

Tue, 08 May 2012 07:45:04 -0700

Jacqueline H. Nguyen's route to a seat on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals begin in a tent city in Camp Pendleton, where she and her family lived for a time after fleeing Vietnam in 1975.

When she later worked at the family's doughnut shop in North Hollywood, she studied when she wasn't serving customers.

On Monday, the Senate confirmed Nguyen to the 9th Circuit, making her the first Asian American woman to sit on a federal appellate court. When President Obama nominated her last fall, he called her a trailblazer.

Nguyen, a graduate of Occidental College, was appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2002 and in 2009 became a federal judge in the Central District of California.

ALSO:

Huntington Beach approves 'puppy mill' ban

Videotape of Kelly Thomas beating rattles courtroom

Residents fume as L.A. looks to jack up parking ticket fines

-- Bettina Boxall

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Investigation: Hollywood parcel gained value as property taxes were slashed

'Dad, they are killing me!': Video portrays violent death of Kelly Thomas

Bait Car TV show sting turns tables on L.A. County sheriff's detective

Crime alerts for Leimert Park, Playa Vista and 14 other L.A. neighborhoods

Tue, 08 May 2012 04:01:40 -0700

Crime reports are up significantly in 16 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of the latest week of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Nine neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Leimert Park (A) was the most unusual, recording six reports compared with a weekly average of 1.5 over the last three months.

Playa Vista (J) topped the list of seven neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 10 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 4.0 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for April 27–May 3, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Violent crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Leimert Park	1.5	6
Valley Glen	2.8	9
Jefferson Park	2.4	6
Koreatown	9.8	15
Tujunga	0.8	4
Sun Valley	3.5	7
Del Rey	0.9	4
Canoga Park	3.2	7
Exposition Park	5.5	9

Property crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Playa Vista	4.0	10
Adams-Normandie	4.4	10
Porter Ranch	7.7	14
Playa del Rey	3.5	7
Brentwood	11.2	15
Harbor City	9.9	19
Pico-Robertson	7.2	12

What triggers a crime alert? Learn about the process in the FAQ for our crime database.

Information sought in attempted sex assault of 16-year-old girl

Mon, 07 May 2012 22:45:06 -0700

Authorities in Riverside County on Monday were seeking information in the recent attempted sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl.

Juan Pablo Gonzalez, 30, allegedly broke into a San Jacinto home on April 28 and tried to attack the girl, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said.

The attacker fled after the girl fought back, authorities said.

Officers swooped down on Gonzalez's home Friday to serve an arrest warrant. He allegedly tried to fight the officers and one of them fired a Taser device at him, according to the Sheriff's Department.

He was treated for minor injuries and was being held on $1-million bail.

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at (951) 791-3400.

ALSO:

Kelly Thomas video: 'Dad, they are killing me'

Disney to add members to 'secret' Club 33 and open new club

92-year-old woman who sold 'death kits' receives probation, fine

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Juan Pablo Gonzalez. Credit: Riverside County Sheriff's Department

Reputed Israeli crime boss pleads guilty in racketeering case

Mon, 07 May 2012 21:33:15 -0700

A reputed organized crime figure from Israel pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Los Angeles to narcotics and racketeering charges, authorities said.

Itzhak Abergil, 43, was charged in 2008 in a 77-page grand jury indictment alleging that he and others were involved a conspiracy to import the drug Ecstasy into the U.S. and commit extortion and murder, the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles said in a statement.

Federal agents intercepted about 100,000 Ecstasy pills worth approximately $2 million at locations in the Midwest. The drugs were bound for Los Angeles, according to federal authorities.

Abergil was the head of a crime organization that conducted "criminal activities in Israel and around the world," the U.S. attorney's office said. Members of the organization killed a man in Sherman Oaks in 2003 after he interfered with a drug deal, federal authorities said.

Abergil is scheduled to be sentenced May 21 at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.

ALSO:

Kelly Thomas video: 'Dad, they are killing me'

Disney to add members to 'secret' Club 33 and open new club

92-year-old woman who sold 'death kits' receives probation, fine

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

O.C. man charged in animal abuse that left 6 rabbits dead

Mon, 07 May 2012 19:23:41 -0700

A Garden Grove man was arraigned Monday on felony charges of animal abuse involving dogs and rabbits he allegedly kept in filthy, dangerous conditions in the backyard of his home, authorities said.

Six newborn rabbits were found drowned in urine and rainwater inside cages owned by Khuong Anh Nguyen, 35, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Nguyen is also charged with tying a female bulldog's legs with rubber bands so tight that they cut into the animal's skin and stopped blood circulation.

The dog was nursed back to health by county veterinarians, the district attorney's office said in a statement.

Four other bulldogs were allegedly found in unsanitary conditions, according to the district attorney's office.

Nguyen is charged with eight counts of felony abuse. If convicted, he could be sentenced to seven years and eight months in Orange County Jail, prosecutors said. He has pleaded not guilty, according to online Superior Court records.

He is scheduled for pretrial hearing May 14 at the Westminster courthouse.

ALSO:

Kelly Thomas video: 'Dad, they are killing me'

Disney to add members to 'secret' Club 33 and open new club

92-year-old woman who sold 'death kits' receives probation, fine

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Khuong Anh Nguyen. Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

Corruption probe of L.A. assessor examines more than 100 properties

Mon, 07 May 2012 19:13:08 -0700

Los Angeles County prosecutors are examining large property tax breaks extended to the owners of the Old Spaghetti Factory, the now-closed Hollywood landmark, as part of their influence-peddling investigation of Assessor John Noguez.

Prosecutors are also looking at more than a hundred Westside properties whose owners got secret, improper tax reductions from a former assessor’s office employee who said he broke the rules hoping to generate contributions to Noguez’s campaign account.

“All of these transactions play a part in our investigation, and the cumulative effect may play a part in our decision to prosecute,” said David Demerjian, who heads the district attorney’s team handling the corruption probe.

“I have the entire public integrity unit on this case,” Demerjian added.

Ramin Salari, a tax consultant and prominent Noguez campaign contributor at the center of the ongoing investigation, represented developers who bought the Old Spaghetti Factory for $14.2 million in 2006 to demolish and to build a condo tower in its place.

Through a series of appeals, Salari convinced Noguez’s staff that the property’s fair market value had been in drastic decline, a Times review of county records showed.

The former restaurant site and four empty, nearby lots are now treated as one property and are currently assessed for $7.8 million, according to the assessor’s website. But they sold in August 2011 for nearly three times that amount, $21 million, The Times found.

On Monday, Noguez acknowledged that Salari complained directly to him about the assessment of the property, but he said he did not instruct anyone to lower the values. “Like any good manager, I asked the appropriate staff to address the issue,” Noguez wrote in an email to The Times.

He added that placing a fair value on the properties was “complicated” because they were under a “cloud of litigation” at the time.

Salari’s attorney denied any wrongdoing.

“These properties were distressed, they were in disrepair, and for purposes of tax assessment they were worth the amounts that Mr. Salari advocated,” said his attorney, Mark Werksman. “The fact that some buyer put a higher value on them, based on his future plans, is not the point.”

Many of Salari’s appeals and subsequent reductions were finalized by Noguez’s staff a month before the sale.

As news of the refunds and subsequent sale spread among rank-and-file county appraisers, some feared Noguez was inappropriately lowering values to give tax breaks to Salari and other campaign contributors.

Recently retired county appraiser Jim Jochimsen said the reductions were “ridiculous” because the owners had won permission from zoning authorities to build big. They’re currently approved for a 22-story tower with retail space and more than 300 condos, according to published reports.

When Jochimsen refused to agree to further reductions in early 2011, he said his new supervisor, Mark McNeil, removed him from the case.

During their raid of the assessor’s offices two weeks ago, investigators paid particular attention to the work spaces of Mark McNeil and his supervisor in 2011, Andrew Stephens.

While Jochimsen was still assigned to the Spaghetti Factory appraisal, he said Salari told him he should stop resisting the reductions because his new boss wouldn't approve.

Salari and his immediate family contributed $10,000 to Noguez’s campaign, county records show. In a recent deposition, Salari said he also solicited contributions to Noguez from all of his clients, who hire him to negotiate property tax reductions.

Demerjian on Monday said his entire 16-member team is still going through evidence seized April 25 during early morning raids of a dozen locations in California and Arizona.

Investigators hit Noguez’s Huntington Park home, Salari’s Phoenix-area home, and business and assessor’s office locations across Los Angeles County.

ALSO:

Kelly Thomas video: 'Dad, they are killing me'

Teen suspected of killing ICE agent father may be tried as adult

California's war dead: Military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2001-present

--Jack Dolan

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Investigation: Hollywood parcel gained value as property taxes were slashed

News: San Onofre nuclear plant may resume partial service in June

George Skelton: California's truly loopy tax loophole

Kelly Thomas video: Homeless man beaten as he cried for help

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:56:06 -0700

On the ground and screaming that he’s “sorry,” Kelly Thomas is hit again and again with fists, a baton and finally the butt of a stun gun by Fullerton police officers in a dramatic video that was shown for the first time Monday in an Orange County courtroom where two patrolman are charged with murder and manslaughter.

The grainy black-and-white video, which includes audio from a recording device one of the officers wore on his belt, shows Thomas repeatedly being struck outside the Fullerton bus depot July 5.

Thomas died several days later.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

At one point, Thomas – a mentally ill homeless man who was a familiar face in the city’s downtown – screams: "Dad, they are killing me."

The video and the sound of fists and a baton connecting with Thomas were graphic enough that several spectators in the courtroom left and the judge paused the video at one point as people in the crowd groaned.

Two officers, Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli, are charged in Kelly's death. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Monday’s preliminary hearing, which continues Tuesday, is being held to determine whether there’s enough evidence to order the officers to stand trial – Ramos was charged with second-degree murder and Cicinelli was charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Attorneys for the officers sought to portray Thomas’ subsequent medical treatment as the reason for his death rather than his violent encounter with police.

John Barnett. Michael Ramos" attorney, asked a fire captain and a trauma surgical chief whether doctors struggled to clear an airway when treating Thomas.

"The cause of death might be the treatment he got the hospital?" Barnett asked UC Irvine surgical trauma chief Michael Lekawa.

Lekawa testified that paramedics told him the staff at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton had struggled to get an air tube in Thomas but testified when he checked out the actual reports they indicated otherwise.

Under cross-examination, however, Lekawa acknowledged that he made prosecutors aware of the medical issues because "I wanted to make sure a police officer wasn't blamed for medical mishap at St.Jude's. I didn't want a police officer to be blamed..."

The video shown in court begins with Thomas being detained, uncooperative to a point at which officer Ramos appears to grow angry. "See these fists," the officer can be heard saying. "They're getting ready to f--- you up," he adds after putting on a pair of gloves.

A short time later, Ramos can be seen hitting Thomas with his baton and heard saying, "get on the ground."

Thomas repeatedly apologizes to Ramos and a second officer. "I am sorry, dude. I can't breathe, dude," Thomas says.

One of the officers can be seen kneeing the 37-year-old homeless man. "I cannot breathe, man," Thomas says on the video as Ramos tells him to relax.

Some of the struggle is obscured by a tree, but a Taser can be heard, apparently stunning Thomas, whose legs appear to wiggle. Thomas' voice gets lower and lower as the encounter continues.

"Dad, they're killing me," he says.

By the time the confrontation ends, Thomas is lying in a pool of blood. Officers appear to be examining their own wounds as they stand near Thomas, who is handcuffed and on the ground.

"You are covered in blood, dude," one officer can be heard saying to another.

Cicinelli adds: "He is the one you're gonna need to look at."

--Richard Winton, reporting from Orange County

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Investigation: Hollywood parcel gained value as property taxes were slashed

News: San Onofre nuclear plant may resume partial service in June

George Skelton: California's truly loopy tax loophole

Two San Diego Harbor Police officers hurt by green laser

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:24:40 -0700

Two San Diego Harbor Police officers suffered eye irritation when someone aimed a green laser at them while they were on patrol in San Diego Bay, officials said Monday.

One officer was momentarily blinded and had to take several days to recuperate with possible burns to her retinas. The other suffered a burning sensation in his eyes.

The laser is thought to have been aimed at the Harbor Police vessel from land.

Harbor Police Assistant Chief Mark Stainbrook said it may have been done innocently by an amateur astronomer using a laser to point out features on last week's "big moon." The incident occurred Friday night.

"I don't think people realize these green lasers can hurt people's eyes," he said.

Anyone with information is asked to call (619) 686-8000.

ALSO:

Kelly Thomas video: 'Dad, they are killing me'

Teen suspected of killing ICE agent father may be tried as adult

California's war dead: Military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2001-present

--Tony Perry in San Diego

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Investigation: Hollywood parcel gained value as property taxes were slashed

News: San Onofre nuclear plant may resume partial service in June

George Skelton: California's truly loopy tax loophole

Father killed children, put remains in trash, police say

Mon, 07 May 2012 17:57:30 -0700

When police arrived at a bloodied Orange apartment last Thursday, they say it was clear something was wrong.

The couple who lived on West Chapman Avenue with their two sons had moved out days ago. No one had been reported missing, and the move-out went without a hitch. Yet there was enough blood in the apartment that police quickly began a search for the four members of the family, including the father, Shazer Fernando Limas.

On Monday, prosecutors filed three murder charges with special enhancements against Limas, who they claim slashed his family to death. They allege that the 31-year-old man disposed of his girlfriend’s body 10 days after killing her, just hours before the corpse was discovered in gutter on a La Puente street. They also believe Limas may have disposed of their 2-year-old and 4-month-old children in an apartment dumpster. Searchers have been digging through a Brea landfill for days looking for their remains but have found nothing.

Prosecutors say the slayings occurred in mid-April, weeks before police arrived at the apartment. In the intervening days, they say, Limas was treated at a hospital for a cut to the hand and purchased an array of supplies, including a tarp, from a Home Depot. Police believe that after he killed his family, he calmly gave the apartment keys back to the landlord, who first discovered the bloody scene May 3. That night, police arrested Limas after a high-speed chase.

But investigators are still piecing together details and are unsure exactly what the accused murderer did for 10 days before disposing of the bodies.

“This is like something you'd see on TV,” said Sgt. Dan Adams with the Orange Police Department.
Limas’ arraignment had been scheduled for Monday afternoon at Santa Ana Central Jail but was continued to the morning of May 23.

The collective charges against Limas could result in the death penalty, but Orange County district attorney's officials said the decision on whether to seek capital punishment will come later.

They said the search for the children’s bodies will continue at the landfill Tuesday.

“We're confident in the case even if we don't find the children,” Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Scott Simmons said.

Court records in Orange County and Los Angeles show that Limas was married at least twice before he had children with the slain woman, Arlet Hernandez Contreras, 31. Limas was paying child support to multiple women; and at least one domestic violence restraining order had been granted to one of his former wives, the records show.

ALSO:

Kelly Thomas video: 'Dad, they are killing me'

Teen suspected of killing ICE agent father may be tried as adult

California's war dead: Military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2001-present

-- Matt Stevens and Sam Quinones in Los Angeles and Nicole Santa Cruz in Orange County

Photo: Shazer Limas. Credit: Orange Police Department

Mother of slain O.C. woman disbelieving about daughter's death

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:30:37 -0700

The mother of a woman who was killed along with her two children said she does not fully believe her daughter is dead.

Authorities say Arlet Hernandez Contreras was killed by her boyfriend, Shazer Fernando Limas, last month. Her body was later found in a La Puente gutter. Police believe Limas also killed the couple's two young sons, a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old. Their bodies remain missing.

On Monday, in a phone interview with The Times, Mayra Contreras confirmed that she had heard the news of her daughter's death but said she wants proof.

Contreras said her daughter had known Limas for three years, adding that they met when he worked for a company that sold contracts and franchises to clean offices in Orange County.

She said her family came from the Coyoacan district of Mexico City 10 years ago and had held many jobs since arriving. It was when the family was in the office-cleaning business that they met Limas, a man Contreras referred to as “that bad person.”

Prosecutors charged Limas with three counts of special circumstances murder, which they say make him eligible for the death penalty. Limas is being held without bail. His arraignment was continued until May 23.

In a statement from the Orange County district attorney’s office, prosecutors allege that Limas carried out the crimes on April 1, and subsequently went to the hospital for surgery to repair a cut to his hand. They say he later bought "sundry” supplies at a Home Depot and moved out of the apartment in the 3000 block of West Chapman Avenue, where the killings took place.

On April 25, authorities say, the man disposed of his girlfriend’s body hours before it was found on a La Puente street in the gutter. Police were first contacted about blood in Limas’ vacant apartment May 3, weeks after prosecutors say the mother and children were killed.

Limas was arrested late Thursday after a police chase and standoff on the 5 Freeway near the San Onofre nuclear power plant in San Diego County, Orange police Sgt. Dan Adams said.

Police have spent days searching a Brea landfill, looking for the bodies of the two young boys. Adams said the search was temporarily called off Monday because of “logistical issues” with the police dogs but will probably resume Tuesday.

ALSO:

Kelly Thomas video: 'Dad, they are killing me'

Monitor finds delays in L.A. sheriff's handling of complaints

Disney to add members to 'secret' Club 33 and open new club

-- Sam Quinones and Matt Stevens

Photo: Shazer Limas. Credit: Orange Police Department

Kelly Thomas video: 'Dad, they are killing me'

Mon, 07 May 2012 15:10:40 -0700

Kelly Thomas repeatedly apologized to Fullerton police officers, saying he was "sorry" as they continued to pummel him with their fists and batons, a dramatic video of the July 5 beating of the homeless man reveals.

The grainy black-and-white video, shown Monday on the first day of a preliminary hearing for two Fullerton police officers charged in the case, shows a shirtless Thomas being repeatedly struck.

He eventually screams: "Dad, they are killing me."

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

The sounds of the baton and a fist hitting the homeless man can be heard on an audio recorder that one of the officers had on his belt. Several spectators in the courtroom left during the video, and the judge paused it at one point as people in the crowd groaned.

Two officers, Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli, are charged in Kelly's death.

The video begins with Thomas being detained, uncooperative to a point at which officer Ramos appears to grow angry.

"See these fists," the officer can be heard saying. "They're getting ready to f--- you up," he adds after putting on a pair of gloves.

A short time later, Ramos can be seen hitting Thomas with his baton and heard saying, "get on the ground."

Thomas repeatedly apologizes to Ramos and a second officer. "I am sorry, dude. I can't breathe, dude," Thomas says.

One of the officers can be seen kneeing the 37-year-old homeless man.

Several people in the court left the proceedings, and Orange County Superior Court Judge Walter Schramm paused the tape at one point because of gasps in the courtroom.

"I cannot breathe, man," Thomas says on the video as Ramos tells him to relax. Some of the struggle is hidden by a tree, but a Taser can be heard, apparently stunning Thomas, whose legs appear to wiggle.

Thomas' voice gets lower and lower as the encounter continues. "Dad, they're killing me," he says.

By the time the confrontation ends, Thomas is lying in a pool of blood. Officers then examine their own wounds as they stand over Thomas, handcuffed and on the ground.

"You are covered in blood, dude," one officer can be heard saying to another.

Cicinelli adds: "He is the one you're gonna need to look at."

ALSO:

Monitor finds delays in L.A. sheriff's handling of complaints

Fire captain testifies police did 'nothing' to help Kelly Thomas

Man tossed girlfriend's body in gutter, sons in trash, D.A. alleges

-- Richard Winton, reporting from Orange County

92-year-old woman who sold 'death kits' receives probation, fine

Mon, 07 May 2012 15:00:51 -0700

A 92-year-old El Cajon woman who sold "death kits" to help people commit suicide was sentenced Monday to five years' probation and a $1,000 fine after pleading guilty to failing to pay income tax on her profits.

As part of a plea bargain with federal prosecutors, Sharlotte Hydorn, a retired teacher, pledged to no longer sell the kits or advise people on how to commit suicide.

District Court Magistrate Bernard Skomal agreed to allow the Internal Revenue Service to determine how much Hydorn should pay in back taxes and penalties. Prosecutors have put the figure at $25,709.

Hydorn sold 1,300 of her kits, consisting of plastic bags that could be fastened tightly around a person's neck. Each bag had an opening to allow helium gas to fill the bag.

Federal prosecutors opted to charge Hydorn with failing to pay income tax rather than file a more difficult to prove charge of assisting someone in committing suicide.

Outside the federal courthouse in San Diego, Hydorn told reporters she still believes people should be assisted in ending their lives.

"I wanted people to die at home," she said.

According to court documents, Hydorn did not bother to cash many of the checks sent to her by people buying the kits, priced at $40 to $60. She did no advertising, but word of the kits spread quickly.

Hydorn said her interest in helping people end their suffering was the result of watching her husband suffer for two years in a hospital with colon cancer before dying.

"The cancer had gone to his brain," she said. "He wanted to go home, and I couldn't take him home."

In court, Hydorn was told she will need a special permit to enter Mexico to visit family members. She told reporters she has no intention of starting another death-kit business in Mexico.

"Oh, for goodness sake, at the age of 92, I'm not going to start a new business," she said. "I'm completely out of the business."

ALSO:

Monitor finds delays in L.A. sheriff's handling of complaints

Fire captain testifies police did 'nothing' to help Kelly Thomas

Man tossed girlfriend's body in gutter, sons in trash, D.A. alleges

-- Neal Putnam and Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Sharlotte Hydorn after FBI raid on her home. Credit: Marty Graham / Reuters

Police seek car possibly linked to missing teen Sierra LaMar

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:54:12 -0700

Authorities are looking for a vehicle they say is associated with the March disappearance of Northern California teen Sierra LaMar, media outlets reported Monday.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said the car resembles a red mid-1990s model four-door Volkswagen Jetta with a black hood, according to the Mercury News.

Sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza said the car was seen at the time and place where the 15-year-old disappeared the morning of March 16 near Palm and Dougherty avenues in unincorporated Morgan Hill.

He added that surveillance cameras from buses and Morgan Hill businesses also spotted the car near where other evidence in the case was found.

"It's more than a coincidence," Cardoza said.

He said it was not known if Sierra was riding in the vehicle. Investigators did not have a license plate number, he said.

Authorities also said Monday forensic tests have officially ruled out any connection between the case and an empty handcuff box and used condoms found within a mile of where Sierra vanished.

Investigators believe Sierra was abducted while walking to a bus stop near her Morgan Hill home.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Santa Clara County Communications at (408) 299-2311.

ALSO:

'Bait Car' TV show busts sheriff's detective with video

Fire captain testifies police did 'nothing' to help Kelly Thomas

Man tossed girlfriend's body in gutter, sons in trash, D.A. alleges

-- From a Times staff writer

Photo: Sierra LaMar posters. Credit: Los Angeles Times

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Investigation: Hollywood parcel gained value as property taxes were slashed

News: San Onofre nuclear plant may resume partial service in June

George Skelton: California's truly loopy tax loophole

'Bait Car' TV show busts sheriff's detective with video

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:04:55 -0700

The reality TV show “Bait Car” is supposed to catch car thieves in the act.

Undercover cops park a rigged car on the side of the road, conspicuously leaving the keys inside, while a television crew waits nearby for an unsuspecting passerby to take the bait and steal the car.

But in one recent sting filmed in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the lead detective on the case ended up getting busted instead.

Footage shot for the TruTV program showed 28-year-old Keenan Alex come across a parked, shiny, red Cadillac Escalade with the keys in the ignition and the engine running. After he gets inside and drives off, deputies pull him over and cuff him. In court, Det. Anthony Shapiro said under oath that he read Alex his Miranda rights from a card in his notebook before the suspect made incriminating statements, a transcript shows.

But unedited video for the program shows the detective never read the suspect his constitutional rights, including the right to remain silent and have an attorney present during questioning.

“You watch TV. You know your rights and all that?” Shapiro asked instead, according to the video reviewed by The Times.

Combining law enforcement and reality TV has a long and sometimes controversial history, dating to the long-running show “Cops.” While such programs often record the questionable behavior of suspects, the "Bait Car" case shows the unblinking eye of the camera can also catch potential police wrongdoing.

After Shapiro’s conduct was discovered, authorities dropped the case against Alex and launched a criminal perjury investigation of the detective, citing the conflict between his testimony and the video.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher Frisco told a judge in February that the contradiction “poses a very severe problem” for the detective, according to court documents. Explaining why the D.A.’s office agreed to dismiss the case, Frisco said the footage showed that Shapiro violated Alex’s Miranda rights, which prevented the prosecution from using the defendant’s incriminating statements. Frisco said prosecutors needed the statements to counter defense arguments that Alex’s mental illness played a role in the decision to take the vehicle.

“I believe the statement would be crucial to putting on the case to win a conviction,” Frisco told the judge, according to a court transcript.

Alex, whose criminal history includes brandishing a firearm and drug possession, admitted taking the car as part of a probation violation hearing in another case. A judge allowed him to remain free as long as he continued taking his psychiatric medication and sought mental-health treatment, records show.

Shapiro did not return messages for comment. His captain said the detective could not discuss the matter because it was the subject of an ongoing investigation. Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said Shapiro has been relieved of duty with pay.

Court documents show Shapiro was almost fired in 2008 over allegations that he had received stolen property from a known felon. Internal sheriff’s criminal investigators served Shapiro with a search warrant on his home and seized alloy car rims, a bicycle, a Honda generator and a Gibson electric guitar, court records show.

Shapiro denied the items were stolen, saying several came from his brother. Prosecutors declined to file charges, finding insufficient evidence the items were stolen. But after a separate investigation, the Sheriff’s Department, which requires a lower standard of proof to impose discipline, moved to fire Shapiro.

The detective appealed the decision, arguing there was no proof the items were stolen, court records show. The department agreed to classify the allegations as “unfounded,” while he agreed to a five-day suspension for using law enforcement records to check the criminal histories of two felons, including the man he was alleged to have received stolen property from and one of the detective’s neighbors, according to court records.

The department’s watchdog found serious flaws in the sheriff’s internal investigation. Investigators, including a deputy who had previously worked in the same unit with Shapiro, inadvertently tipped off the detective before executing their search warrant and allowed him to be present for an interview with a key witness, according to a 2010 report by the Office of Independent Review. The report found that “investigative deficiencies hampered a potential criminal prosecution and forced the department to continue to employ a deputy it believed had committed serious crimes.”

Shapiro’s attorney, Richard A. Shinee, disagreed. “There was no credible evidence that he stole anything and that’s why the case fell apart,” he said. Shinee declined comment on the "Bait Car" case, citing the ongoing investigation.

During the case, the defense attorney raised questions about whether the problems she encountered were common in prosecutions resulting from "Bait Car" filming.

The district attorney’s office initially said it could not compel the production company to turn over the footage but admitted it could when Bala obtained a copy of the county’s contract, which showed Earth Angel Productions had agreed to comply with D.A. requests for unedited footage. Part of the delay, Frisco said in court, was because Shapiro did not return repeated messages left by the prosecutor.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Alex Karkanen, who works with the auto-theft task force, said the county has prosecuted scores of similar bait-car cases and never encountered such problems. Defense attorneys and judges, he said, are generally notified that the arrests were filmed for TV and the suspects are aware of the cameras and are asked to sign a waiver by the production crew at the time of their arrest.

Bala also criticized the county’s decision to conduct the televised stings at all, saying they wasted taxpayer resources that could better be used on more serious crimes. She said her client, who hallucinates and hears voices, jumped into the bait car while walking to an aunt’s house from a residential facility that houses the mentally ill.

“It’s disgusting,” she said. “Don’t they have any real crime to go after?”

Under its contract with the county Board of Supervisors, the production company pays the county at least $22,500 per episode, an additional 10% of the company’s profit from the series and other fees, as well as the overtime costs for law enforcement officers working on the stings. In July 2011, when Alex was arrested, the company paid $156,000 in overtime to deputies and police officers assigned to the task force during that month, records show.

Whitmore, the sheriff’s spokesman, denied the payments are why the department does the stings, saying the televised operations act as a deterrent to car thieves.

“If the general public sees this [TV show], it’s gonna prevent people from doing it because they won’t know if [a] car is a bait car or not,” he said.

ALSO:

Monitor finds delays in L.A. sheriff's handling of complaints

Fire captain testifies police did 'nothing' to help Kelly Thomas

Man tossed girlfriend's body in gutter, sons in trash, D.A. alleges

— Robert Faturechi and Jack Leonard

Photo: "Bait Car" advertisement. Credit: TruTV

Fire captain testifies police did 'nothing' to help Kelly Thomas

Mon, 07 May 2012 13:42:58 -0700

A fire department captain testified Monday in a hearing for two Fullerton police officers charged in the beating death of Kelly Thomas that when he first arrived on scene "nothing was being done" to help the mentally ill homeless man.

Capt. Rob Stancyk of the Fullerton Fire Department testified that seven or eight Fullerton police officers were standing around a bus depot when paramedics arrived, about 15 feet from Thomas, who he said was lying on the ground.

"Nothing was being done," Stancyk said.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

Stancyk testified that initially the officers on the scene were complaining about their injuries, but that then he turned and saw Thomas on the ground, barely breathing.

The testimony comes in the first day of a hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to order Fullerton police officers Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli to stand trial for Kelly's death last July 5.

The preliminary hearing got off to a dramatic start as prosecutors showed a bloody image of Thomas' face that elicited gasps from the audience. The image was taken at UC Irvine Medical Center several hours after his encounter with police.

Ron Thomas, Kelly Thomas' father, winced as the image was displayed on a monitor. Prosecutors also showed a Taser allegedly used by Cicinelli in the beating of Thomas. The weapon appeared to be bloodied.

Dawn Scruggs, a nine-year forensic specialist for the Fullerton Police Department, confirmed that the Taser had been used on Thomas. Scruggs also told of a pool of blood where Thomas fell.

Scruggs described the officers as having minor cuts but on cross examination acknowledged Officer Ramos told her he had been in the fight of his life.

"He was tired, exhausted and in pain," Scruggs said.

She said officers Cicinelli and Scott Wolfe told her Thomas "would not stop fighting."

Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas called the officers' actions "gratuitous and unnecessary" and noted the investigation showed Thomas offered no response to the blows, indicating he was "down and seriously injured."

Both Ramos and Cicinelli have pleaded not guilty and are free on bail while on leave from the Fullerton Police Department.

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Bloody photo of Kelly Thomas elicits gasps as hearing begins

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman wins reprieve; home auction delayed

Complaints on deputies stalled for 100 or more days, monitor says

— Richard Winton in Santa Ana

Photo: Fullerton police Officer Manuel Ramos listens to the proceedings during his preliminary hearing in Orange County Superior Court. Credit: Pool photo.

Man tossed girlfriend's body in gutter, sons in trash, D.A. alleges

Mon, 07 May 2012 13:31:22 -0700

Dramatic new details emerged Monday as prosecutors charged an Orange County man with three counts of murder in connection with the slaying of his girlfriend and the couple’s two young sons.

Prosecutors alleged that Shazer Fernando Limas, 31, stabbed his girlfriend along with his 2-year-old and 4-month-old at an Orange apartment on April 14, weeks before authorities arrived at their blood-filled apartment. The Orange County district attorney’s office says Limas went to the hospital for surgery to repair a cut to his hand, and bought a "sundry” of supplies at a Home Depot, all prior to dumping his girlfriend’s body in a La Puente gutter more than a week later.

Police believe he dumped the bodies of his children at a landfill, but officials are still searching for their remains.

The special circumstances in this case makes Limas eligible for the death penalty, according to a statement from the district attorney’s office, which added that the decision on whether to seek capital punishment will be determined at a later date.

Limas is being held without bail and is scheduled for arraignment at 3 p.m. today, prosecutors said.

Arlet Hernandez Contreras’ body was found at the Los Angeles County morgue Friday after detectives contacted the coroner looking for unidentified female bodies, Adams said. The body was originally discovered April 25 in La Puente. People were walking in the industrial area when they discovered the woman's body in the street.

Trash from the apartment complex is taken to the Brea landfill, which investigators first started searching Thursday night, Adams said.

Limas was arrested late Thursday after a police chase and standoff on the 5 Freeway near the San Onofre nuclear plant in San Diego County, Adams said.

ALSO:

Fire captain testifies police did 'nothing' to help Kelly Thomas

Teen suspected of killing ICE agent father may be tried as adult

Wayward Bolsa Chica dolphin may have returned to sea, experts say

-- Matt Stevens

Teen suspected of killing ICE agent father may be tried as adult

Mon, 07 May 2012 13:23:22 -0700

A 14-year-old boy accused of killing his father, federal ICE agent Myron W. Chisem, did not enter a plea to a murder charge at his initial juvenile court appearance Monday and will face a May 21 hearing on his fitness to be tried as an adult.

The boy, whose name has not been released by authorities, is accused of firing a single shot that struck Chisem in the head as he sat watching TV in the family room of their Carson home.

The boy used his father’s service weapon to fire the shot into the house from the backyard, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.

Chisem, 42, was a Navy veteran who had been an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent since 2007. Authorities say the boy was upset after clashing with his father over his school grades.

“There were some disciplinary issues in the house of which grades was one of them,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Todd Hicks told KTLA-TV.

The teenager called 911, but officials have not said if he told dispatchers that he had shot his father. Deputies found Chisem’s handgun in the front yard.

The boy has been charged with one count of murder and the additional allegation of using a firearm.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office will proceed with its efforts to try the teenager as an adult, spokeswoman Jane Robison said.

The May 21 hearing will be in Compton Juvenile Court, as was Monday's initial hearing, she said.

Longtime family friend Shawn Butler said last week that there “was never any indication” of trouble or tension between Chisem and his son, who moved in with him less than a year ago.

“They had a great relationship,” Butler said. “He was very proud of his son. He loved him very much.”

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Police continue landfill search for bodies of two missing boys

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman wins reprieve; home auction delayed

Wayward Bolsa Chica dolphin may have returned to sea, experts say

— Kim Christensen and Matt Stevens

Photo: ICE agents salute as the flag-draped body of fellow agent Myron W. Chisem is removed from his Carson home last Thursday. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times.

Lawmakers face explaining arrest records as they seek re-election

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:38:41 -0700

With California voters going to the polls next month, some candidates for the state Legislature are having to defend arrest records as much as their voting records.

In the last 20 months, five state legislators and one former state senator with active campaigns have been arrested on suspicion of crimes including drunk driving, perjury, voter fraud, shoplifting and trying to carry a loaded gun through airport security.

The imbroglios come as the Legislature struggles to improve its reputation with a skeptical public, according to a story in Saturday's Los Angeles Times. You can read it here.

Most recently, charges were filed last week against former state Sen. Richard Alarcon, a Democrat running in the 39th state Assembly district. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he lied about where he lived and voted fraudulently.

Others running in the Assembly district are Democrat Raul Bocanegra, a legislative aide from Pacoima; Green Party candidate John Paul Lindblad, an architect/community organizer from North Hollywood; and three Republicans: Sylmar businessman Ricardo Benitez, Sylmar retired legal administrator Margie Carranza and Van Nuys parole officer Omar Cuevas.

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Berman releases tax returns

Reforming government, step by step

Bill to allow some non-physician abortions is pulled

-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento

Alleged copper wire thief dies after suffering electrical burns

Mon, 07 May 2012 11:30:29 -0700

A 26-year-old man who was seriously burned allegedly while trying to take copper wiring from a Southern California Edison electrical relay station has died, according to the San Bernardino County coroner’s office.

Michael Morga Garcia, a San Bernardino resident, died at 8:32 p.m. Sunday at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, the coroner’s office reported on its website.

Garcia was taken to the hospital after suffering the electrical burns about 2 a.m. Saturday at the relay station, which is on Stoddard Avenue, just south of Rialto Avenue, the coroner said.

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Police continue landfill search for bodies of two missing boys

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman wins reprieve; home auction delayed

Wayward Bolsa Chica dolphin may have returned to sea, experts say

— Kim Christensen

Bloody photo of Kelly Thomas elicits gasps as hearing begins

Mon, 07 May 2012 11:25:04 -0700

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A preliminary hearing for the Fullerton police officers accused in the fatal beating of Kelly Thomas got off a dramatic start as prosecutors showed a bloody image of Thomas' face that elicited gasps from the audience.

The image was taken by Fullerton police forensic specialist Dawn Scruggs. She took it just hours after the beating, while Thomas was at UC Irvine Medical Center.

Ron Thomas, Kelly Thomas' father, visibly winced as the image displayed on a massive monitor. "It is the right side of Mr. Thomas' face," Scruggs testified.

PHOTOS: Kelly Thomas dies after run-in with Fullerton police

Prosecutors also showed a Taser allegedly used by Cpl. Jay Cicinelli in the beating of Thomas on a video screen visibly covered in blood.

Scruggs, a nine-year specialist for the Fullerton Police Department, confirmed that the Taser was the one used on Thomas. Scruggs also described a pool of blood where Thomas fell.

Scruggs described the officers' minor cuts but on cross examination acknowledged that Officer Manuel Ramos told her he had been in the fight of his life. "He was tired, exhausted and in pain," Scruggs said.

She said officers Cicinelli and Scott Wolfe told her Thomas "would not stop fighting."

A second witness, Fullerton Fire Capt. Ron Stancyk, said when he arrived he saw that the bloody Thomas was barely breathing. His skin was ashen and when they began to move him he stopped breathing.

Stancyk said en route to the hospital they began pumping air into his lungs with an air bag, but Thomas' heart stopped..

"Once his heart stops we began CPR" Stancyk said.

Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas called the officers' actions "gratuitous and unnecessary" and noted that the investigation showed that Thomas offered no response to those blows, indicating he was "down and seriously injured."

Both Ramos and Cicinelli have pleaded not guilty and are free on bail while on leave from the Fullerton Police Department. Ramos' attorney, John D. Barnett, said the officer was doing his job under difficult conditions with a noncompliant suspect with a history of violence.

Barnett said Thomas' criminal record, which included a 1995 conviction for assault with a deadly weapon when he hit his grandfather with a fire poker, reveals he had a violent side.

Cicinelli's attorney, Michael Schwartz, also disputed points in the district attorney's account, including the number of times his client allegedly hit Thomas with the front end of his Taser and the threatening taunt Ramos allegedly used when he confronted Thomas.

Schwartz said his client, a former LAPD officer, struck Thomas only when the homeless man grabbed the hand holding the Taser at least twice.

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Junior Seau's family revisiting decision to donate his brain

Police continue landfill search for bodies of two missing boys

Kelly Thomas: D.A. to play video of fatal beating at officers' hearing

— Richard Winton in Santa Ana

Monitor finds delays in L.A. sheriff's handling of complaints

Mon, 07 May 2012 11:05:08 -0700

An independent monitor of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has found shortcomings in the agency’s handling of complaints about its deputies by members of the public, according to a report released Monday.

Specifically, the analysis of complaints filed in 2010 found that a majority of cases were not handled in a timely manner-–with major stations taking more than 100 days on average to forward the complaints to headquarters.

Department policy requires it be done in 60 days. One complaint lingered for 659 days.

“A lack of promptness can communicate to the public that the Department is not concerned with responding to or vigorously investigating their complaints of deputy misconduct,” according to the report, “and that there is a lack of accountability for such lapses.”

The lagging would negatively impact the currency of the department’s personnel database meant to detect problem deputies.

In general, however, Merrick Bobb, special counsel to the county Board of Supervisors, found that complaints were investigated thoroughly, even when the people complaining provided scant specifics.

Bobb’s analysis found that only in about 14% of cases were the probes faulty. For example, in one case a man complained that a deputy stopped him without cause and refused to look at his medical marijuana card, but because the department could not determine who the deputy in question was, the deputy was exonerated.

Cases that lack that kind of relevant information, Bobb said, should instead result in “unable to make a determination” findings.

The report attributed the delays in probes, and occasional misclassification of complaints, to low staffing and a perception that meeting deadlines on the complaints are not a priority.

Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore acknowledged “there was a need to improve…we can always do better,” but added that overall the report is “very complimentary.”

Bobb also waded into the sheriff’s management of the jails, which are currently the subject of intense public scrutiny and an FBI probe examining allegations of abuse and other deputy misconduct. Bobb pointed to issues like deputy gangs forming in the jails, such as the "3000" clique that got into a brawl with fellow deputies, and some of the most inexperienced deputies watching over some of the jail’s most hardened criminals.

The report echoes Sheriff Lee Baca’s assertion that problems in the jails festered because his top managers insulated him from bad news. Bobb warns Baca that he should achieve “a delegation of authority, not an abdication of it.”

Baca, Bobb writes, has “a warm and capacious heart” and can be trusted to address problems in the nation’s largest jail system when he is aware of them.

At the same time, however, Bobb notes a commander who said he tried to inform Baca about excessive force and “deputy gangs in the jail.” Commander Robert Olmsted told the Times he tried on two separate occasions to discuss abuse and deputy cliques with Baca but was rebuffed.

Asked in an interview why he asserts Baca was insulated from problems, despite one of his top managers saying Baca ignored his warnings, Bobb said he could not explain the inconsistency.

Bobb also cites concerns that Baca should take a more active role in who is promoted within the department. Olmsted has blamed the promotion of Capt. Daniel Cruz to succeed him and oversee Men’s Central Jail as a mistake that allowed major problems in the lockup to worsen.

Bobb did not cite any promotions he believes were problematic. The department denies that Baca does not play an active role in promotions. In his report, Bobb is vague, saying “whether the Sheriff has or has not over delegated in this area is not for us to decide.”

Bobb also raises the specter that a team of commanders Baca installed to reform the jails and report directly to Baca might not actually be reporting directly to him because of loyalty to Baca’s second in command, Paul Tanaka. The report, however, raises that issue only to discredit it, and say the task force has performed well.

The report also describes a captain who had been “trying to sound an alarm,” an apparent allusion to former Men’s Central Jail Capt. John Clark, who was blocked by Tanaka in his attempt several years ago to regularly move deputies around the jail, a solution some have said would prevent deputy cliques.

Clark however has said under oath that the change was not meant to address deputy cliques or groups, which he did not believe existed. Tanaka has said that he opposed the change because it would disrupt hundreds of deputies in an attempt to move a few problematic ones, and would have faced serious opposition from the deputies’ union.

Bobb goes on to say that he has been monitoring investigations of uses of force in the jail from February, and has been pleased with “the trend spotting for patterns and individuals.’

“Nonetheless, we saw cases where force was arguably avoidable or disproportionate,” the report states. “Control of excessive force in the jails remains a work in progress. It will not be solved without a change of culture.”

ALSO:

Teen son of ICE agent to be arraigned in father's killing

Police contine landfill search for bodies of two missing boys

Body found near Coronado Islands may be from yacht race accident

-- Robert Faturechi

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman wins reprieve; home auction delayed

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:53:59 -0700

"Octomom" Nadya Suleman won a reprieve Monday as the planned auction of her La Habra home was delayed for two weeks.

The four-bedroom, three-bath Orange County home was set to go to auction Monday, with Suleman and her 14 kids forced to find another place to live. She said she would not be homeless and would move in with friends temporarily.

But this morning, the auction company decided to postpone the sale bid for two weeks, according to the Orange County Register.

Suleman has been hit by several financial setbacks in the last week or so, including a bankruptcy filing.

"I don't think you can get farther, deeper down into the rock bottom than we are at this point,” Suleman told HLN in an interview. “[My kids] are healthy [and] safe. They don't feel it. I do. All the weight is on my shoulders.… We cannot afford our home at this present time.”

In filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in Orange County Superior Court on Monday, Suleman said in court papers that her debts could approach $1 million.

In court documents reviewed by the Register, Suleman said she had $50,000 in assets and up to $1 million in debts. She reported she owes more than $30,000 in back payments on her home.

"I have had to make some very difficult decisions this year, and filing Chapter 7 was one of them," Suleman said in a statement released by her spokeswoman. "But I have to do what is best for my children, and I need a fresh start."

Her La Habra home could be auctioned off and Suleman and her 14 children, including the octuplets for whom she received her nickname, could face eviction if the house is sold.

ALSO:

Two killed in shooting near San Bernardino community center

Body found near Coronado Islands may be from yacht race accident

Wayward Bolsa Chica dolphin may have returned to sea, experts say

— A Times staff writer

Photo: Nadya Suleman. Credit: Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty Images

Two killed in shooting near San Bernardino community center

Mon, 07 May 2012 08:33:53 -0700

San Bernardino police continued to investigate Monday the shooting outside a community center that left two dead and two injured.

Authorities say the Sunday shooting stemmed from an argument involving the deceased victims.

Ramiro Aguilar, 35, of San Bernardino, and Corey Broussard, 31, of Victorville, were pronounced dead at the hospital. Police say it was unclear who shot them.

Lt. Paul Williams said he could not comment on details of the investigation and could not say if the deceased victims were the suspects.

But “If there was a public-safety issue, a double-murderer running around, we would have been the first to report it," he said.

Police went to Flores Street just after 9 p.m. Sunday, where they found 49-year-old Luisa Villalobos in her car with a gunshot wound to the head. She remained in “grave condition” on life support at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, police said.

Watani Richardson, 20, was at Community Hospital with a gunshot wound to the foot that police believe was related to the shooting. They say Villalobos and Richardson were “unintended victims” of the incident.

Police say a handgun believed to be connected to the shooting was recovered near the scene.

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Octomom's house goes on the auction block Monday

L.A. Now Live: Chat about Westside subway extension

Junior Seau's family revisiting decision to donate his brain

— Matt Stevens

Twitter.com/mattstevenslat

Teen son of ICE agent to be arraigned in father's killing

Mon, 07 May 2012 08:11:55 -0700

A 14-year-old boy was expected to be arraigned Monday on charges he killed his father, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, and prosecutors say they will seek to try him as an adult.

The boy, whose name has not been released by authorities, is accused of firing a single shot that struck Myron W. Chisem in the head as he sat watching TV in the family room of their Carson home.

The boy used his father’s service weapon to fire the shot into the house from the backyard, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.

The teenager called 911, but officials have not said if he told dispatchers he shot his father. Deputies found Chisem’s handgun in the front yard.

Authorities say the boy was upset after clashing with Chisem over his school grades.

"There were some disciplinary issues in the house of which grades was one of them," Deputy Dist. Atty. Todd Hicks told KTLA-TV.

Chisem, 42, was a Navy veteran who had been an ICE agent since 2007.

Longtime family friend Shawn Butler said last week that there “was never any indication” of trouble or tension between Chisem and his son, who moved in with him less than a year ago.

“They had a great relationship,” Butler said. “He was very proud of his son. He loved him very much."

District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said Friday it was not clear if prosecutors would seek a first-degree murder charge or a lesser count. The boy is to be arraigned in Compton Juvenile Court.

With an added allegation that he used a firearm, she said, the teenager would face a lengthy sentence if convicted of murder as an adult.

No sign of trouble between slain ICE agent and son, friend says

Slain ICE agent's 14-year-old son arrested on suspicion of murder

— Kim Christensen

Photo: Authorities remove the body of the slain ICE agent in Carson. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Beck, civilian panel again at odds on shooting

Mon, 07 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

When the members of the Los Angeles Police Commission met behind closed doors last month to decide if a cop had been right to kill Dale Garrett, the two bullets in Garrett's back raised serious concerns.

Det. Arthur Gamboa had insisted that Garrett left him no choice but to shoot when he pulled a knife and threatened to kill the detective during a botched drug bust. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and the commission's own watchdog agreed, recommending the oversight board find that Gamboa's decision to open fire was within department rules.

But for a majority of the five-person commission, errors and inconsistencies in Gamboa's account, along with the fact that he shot Garrett in the back, could not be ignored. In a divided vote, the commission concluded the detective was not believable. The shooting, the panel ruled, violated the LAPD's policy on when officers are justified in using lethal force.

With that decision, the shooting became the latest in a series of incidents in which Beck and his civilian bosses disagree on whether an officer's decision to use deadly force was appropriate. These cases have given rise to a rare vein of tension between the chief and commissioners, who otherwise have heaped praise on Beck since he took over the department 2 1/2 years ago.

Believing the officers in these cases were justified to open fire, Beck has either refused to impose any discipline on the officers or let them off with a simple reprimand in the earlier cases, The Times reported last month. That has left a majority of the commission increasingly concerned that Beck is undermining their authority and sending a dangerous message to the LAPD's rank-and-file officers that the consequences for a unjustified shooting are minimal.

Beck must now decide how, if at all, to punish Gamboa and his partner for a deadly encounter that even the chief agrees was marred by mistakes.

It was shortly after noon on a cool, cloudless day in May when Gamboa and Det. Ronald Kitzmiller, members of a narcotics enforcement team, stepped out of the LAPD's downtown headquarters and headed for their station about a mile away, according to an internal LAPD report. The copy of this report, and another one written by the commission, obtained by The Times, concealed the officers' names. Gamboa was named in a different department document, and an attorney representing Garrett's family named Kitzmiller.

Walking down Spring Street, they soon approached the bustling intersection at 5th Street, where trendy restaurants and stylish lofts put a pleasant gloss over the block's alternate, less savory reality. For years, Spring and 5th — especially the southwest corner – has been a stamping ground for drug dealers, who skulk about and whisper offers of prescription pills, pot, and other drugs to passersby.

On a whim, the detectives decided to do some undercover work, according to the department report.

Kitzmiller pulled a $5 bill from his wallet, marked it with a pen and handed it to Gamboa. Dressed in street clothes that concealed his badge and handgun, Gamboa leaned against a wall on the corner as Kitzmiller watched from across the street, the commission summary said. Within a minute or two, Garrett, 51, approached, saying "Weed, Klonopin, weed, Klonopin," Gamboa told investigators.

Gamboa asked for a Klonopin, a prescription drug that can give the sensation of intoxication, and told investigators that Garrett "quickly, forcefully grabbed — snatched the $5 from my hand, knocking it down in a rude manner." As Garrett kept walking, Gamboa said he followed, demanding his pill.

What happened next is not clear.

In an interview shortly after the shooting, Gamboa told investigators that Garrett, while a few feet ahead, stopped and turned clockwise to face him while unfolding a large knife. "I am going to kill you," the detective recalled Garrett saying. He insisted that he shot Garrett twice in the chest.

An autopsy, however, showed both bullets had struck Garrett on the left side of his back, making Gamboa's account impossible. In February, Gamboa returned to the street corner with his commanding officer to go through the sequence of the shooting. This time, he said, Garrett had turned in the opposite direction.

A witness standing nearby told investigators that Garrett only turned at his waist, instead of spinning around completely. This, Beck said in his review of the shooting, could explain how Garrett was shot in the back. Or, Beck speculated, Garrett may have faced the detective and then continued to turn away, exposing the left side of his back. The chief, however, did not address how Garrett could have posed a deadly, immediate threat to the detective if either of these scenarios were accurate.

Another witness disputed this version altogether, saying Gamboa and Kitzmiller "sneaked up" behind Garrett and startled him, according to the commission's report.

A knife was found under Garrett's body, although the reports by the commission and chief do not clarify if it was found with the blade out or folded.

Beck and Commission President Richard Drooyan declined to comment on the case. The detectives did not respond to e-mails requesting comment.

The chief and commission agreed that the detectives' decision to conduct a spur-of-the-moment drug operation was, in the commission's words, "in clear conflict" with department rules and training guidelines. In particular, they found that Kitzmiller, who served as a supervisor in the detectives' narcotics unit, should have known better.

For these actions, Beck could choose to discipline the men.

But the decision to shoot Garrett, Beck concluded, was reasonable. An officer in the same situation would have responded as Gamboa did, he said.

Drooyan and Commissioners Robert Saltzman and John Mack saw things differently. The evidence, the commissioners wrote in their report, "did not support an objectively reasonable belief that [Garrett] presented an imminent threat of death or seriously bodily injury" when Gamboa fired.

joel.rubin@latimes.com

Student forgotten in jail: UCSD students denounce treatment

Mon, 07 May 2012 07:36:44 -0700

The student government at UC San Diego has denounced the Drug Enforcement Administration for leaving a UCSD student without food, water or access to a toilet for five days after he was put in a detention cell in San Diego.

The student government asked Chancellor Marye Ann Fox to take a "clear stance" on the treatment of engineering student Daniel Chong.

"Daniel Chong's illegal detention reveals how the Drug Enforcement (Administration) wields too much power,'' said Angad Walia, UCSD student and leader of the Southern California chapter of Young Americans for Liberty, the group that brought the issue to the student government.

The DEA has apologized to Chong, who was accidentally left in a holding cell for five days and reportedly drank his own urine to survive. The 23-year-old had been detained after being swept up in a drug raid at an apartment where he was a visitor.

Chong has filed a $20-million claim with the DEA, asserting his treatment was tantamount to torture. U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and several other officeholders have called for an investigation into the case.

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Octomom's house goes on the auction block Monday

Junior Seau's family revisiting decision to donate his brain

Kelly Thomas: D.A. to play video of fatal beating at officers' hearing

— Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Daniel Chong, a UC San Diego student, says he was forgotten by federal DEA agents and left in a holding cell for five days. The DEA has issued an apology. Credit: K.C. Alfred / U-T San Diego / Associated Press

Kelly Thomas: D.A. to play video of fatal beating at officers' hearing

Mon, 07 May 2012 07:14:17 -0700

<> The Orange County district attorney plans to present security video Monday at a hearing that allegedly shows the events that led to the killing of homeless man Kelly Thomas by two Fullerton police officers.

The video captured at the Fullerton bus depot July 5, 2011, is the latest evidence in a criminal case against the two on-duty officers, who face a preliminary hearing Monday on murder and manslaughter charges.

The incident was captured on a security camera and the sound by an officer’s digital recorder.

Officer Manuel Ramos, 37, a 10-year veteran, was charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the beating death of Thomas, 37, at the bus depot. If convicted, Ramos could face a life prison term.

A second officer, Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 39, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and using excessive force; Cicinelli faces a maximum prison term of four years.

Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas is expect to lay out how routine questioning by police devolved into a "beating at the hands of an angry police officer" with other officers eventually joining in.

Rackauckas will present a recording he claims proves Ramos triggered the deadly events by threatening the frightened and disoriented Thomas.

"See my fists?" Ramos allegedly asked Thomas.

"Yeah," Thomas replied. "What about them?"

"They are getting ready to ... you up," Ramos allegedly said.

"Start punching, dude," Thomas replied.

In the next nine minutes and 40 seconds, Thomas was tackled, hit with a baton, pinned to the ground, punched repeatedly in the ribs, kneed in the head, Tasered four times and then struck in the face with the Taser device eight times, Rackauckas said.

Any response from Thomas was "in self-defense, in pain and in panic," Rackauckas said when the charges were announced.

According to an 11-week investigation, Thomas initially struggled, his screams echoing across the parking lot: "I can't breathe!" "I'm sorry, dude!" "OK, OK!" "Please!" "Dad, help me."

But, Rackauckas said, the beating continued even after Thomas stopped struggling and screaming and blood began pooling around his body.

Hospital records showed that Thomas suffered brain injuries, a shattered nose, a smashed cheekbone, broken ribs and internal bleeding. The cause of death, Rackauckas said, was "mechanical compression of the thorax," basically being crushed and unable to breath.

There were no traces of drugs or alcohol in Thomas' body. He died five days after he was taken off life support.

Much of the evidence came from a recording device attached to Ramos' uniform, which all Fullerton officers wear. The investigation also included 151 witness interviews, seven surveillance videos and two videos recorded by witnesses on their cellphones.

The turning point for Cicinelli, the district attorney told reporters in announcing the charges, was when the officer — after using his Taser four times on Thomas, once near Thomas' heart — began beating Thomas in the face with the device itself.

Rackauckas called that behavior "gratuitous and unnecessary," and noted the investigation showed that Thomas offered no response to those blows, indicating he was "down and seriously injured."

Barnett, said Thomas' criminal record, which includes a 1995 conviction for assault with a deadly weapon when he hit his grandfather with a fire poker, reveals he had a violent side.

Schwartz said his client, a former LAPD officer, struck Thomas only when the homeless man grabbed the hand holding the Taser at least twice.

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— Richard Winton

Northbound 215 Freeway in San Bernardino reopens a day early

Sun, 06 May 2012 14:17:02 -0700

All northbound lanes of the 215 Freeway in San Bernardino were reopened Sunday afternoon after quick work by construction crews, ending the Inland Empire’s version of “Carmageddon.”

Dubbed the “Big Shift,” the weekend closure allowed crews to reconfigure traffic lanes as part of an ongoing $723-million freeway-widening project. Sections of the northbound lanes between 2nd Street and Highland were shut down beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, while the southbound lanes remained open.

The northbound lanes opened about 1 p.m. Sunday, well before the scheduled completion of 6 a.m. Monday.

“It’s great news,” said Tim Watkins, spokesman for the San Bernardino Associated Governments, the lead agency on the project.

Watkins thanked drivers for avoiding the area during the weekend closure.

“We had a lot of success with this weekend because the public responded so well,” Watkins said. “They really heeded the warnings, which really allowed us to focus on the construction.”

The overall project, which began in 2007, is expected to be finished by summer 2013. Watkins said about 80,000 drivers per day passed through that section of highway before construction began.

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--Kate Mather

Man fatally shot in suspected gang incident in South L.A.

Sun, 06 May 2012 13:16:25 -0700

A 28-year-old man was shot to death early Sunday in South Los Angeles in what police said was a gang-related incident.

The victim, whose name was not released, was killed about 1:30 a.m. near the intersection of Broadway and 37th Street when an unknown assailant walked up and shot him several times in the chest, Los Angeles police officer Gregory Baek said Sunday afternoon.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Baek said. No arrests had been made.

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Deputy shoots armed man who warned he was 'prepared to go to war'

Sun, 06 May 2012 12:10:03 -0700

An Antelope Valley man who threatened his 60-year-old mother with a gun and told her he was “prepared to go to war” was in jail Sunday after being shot by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy, officials said.

Matthew Ridgway, 29, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, Deputy Lillian Peck said Sunday. He was arrested about 11:45 p.m. Saturday in the 39600 block of 167th Street East in the unincorporated Lake Los Angeles area of north Los Angeles County.

Deputies had been called to a nearby home in the 16000 block of MacKenna’s Gold Avenue, where Ridgway’s mother told them he’d beaten her and threatened her with a gun.

“Before deputies could contact suspect Ridgway, they saw him run out of the back of the residence with a rifle and wearing a ballistic vest,” Peck said in a press release.

Deputies found Ridgway hiding in a neighbor’s shed, where the shooting occurred. It was unclear Sunday if Ridgway had fired his weapon or if he’d been struck in the bulletproof vest , Peck said.

Ridgway was treated for minor injuries and then booked at the Lancaster sheriff’s station, where he was being held Sunday.

As in all deputy-involved shootings, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is investigating, as are the sheriff’s homicide and internal affairs bureaus.

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— Kim Christensen

Investigators search landfill for bodies of two missing boys

Sun, 06 May 2012 11:45:57 -0700

Investigators returned to a Brea landfill Sunday morning to search for two missing boys feared to be dead after their mother was found stabbed to death.

Detectives began looking for 31-year-old Arlet Hernandez Contreras and her sons, a 4-month-old and 2-year-old, after apartment managers found blood and other evidence in a unit the three shared with Shazer Fernando Limas, Orange Police Sgt. Dan Adams said.

Limas, 31, identified as Contreras’ boyfriend and the boys’ father, moved out of the apartment last month. The evidence suggests Contreras and the children were killed inside, police said.

Contreras’ body was found at the Los Angeles County morgue Friday after detectives contacted the office looking for unidentified female bodies, Adams said. The body was originally discovered April 25 in La Puente.

Trash from the apartment complex is taken to the Brea landfill, which investigators first started searching Thursday night, Adams said. The search continued Sunday with police dogs.

Limas was arrested late Thursday after a police chase and standoff on the 5 Freeway near the San Onofre nuclear plant in San Diego County, Adams said. He was booked in the Orange County Jail on murder charges.

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Fox movie executive missing for five days; detectives seek help

Sun, 06 May 2012 07:41:57 -0700

<&&&&&&>

Authorities this weekend continued to search for a 20th Century Fox movie executive last seen on Tuesday.

Gavin Smith, 57, of Oak Park was last seen at his residence in the 500 block of Callwood Court between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Smith has worked in the studio's movie distribution department for nearly 18 years.

He is described as 6-foot-6 and weighing 210 pounds. He has gray hair streaked with blond, and a goatee. He drives a black 2000 Mercedes 420 E with California license plate number 6EKT044.

He is a former UCLA basketball player.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detectives T. Abraham or C. Carns at the sheriff’s homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.

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-- Scott Glover

Video credit: KTLA

Mother stabbed to death; two children also feared dead

Sun, 06 May 2012 07:18:35 -0700

A mother missing for several days was found stabbed to death, but police said they are still searching for her two young children, who are also feared to be dead.

The body of 31-year-old Arlet Hernandez Contreras was found at the Los Angeles County morgue.

Homicide detectives contacted various coroner offices, asking if they had any unidentified female bodies, said Orange Police Sgt. Dan Adams. The Los Angeles County coroner's office responded. The case was being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

"Last night, it was confirmed that female's body is our adult victim," Adams said Saturday.

The body was originally found April 25 in the city of La Puente, Adams said.

Police are still looking for her two children, a 4-month-old and a 2-year-old.

Shazer Fernando Limas, 31, was arrested late Thursday after a long police chase and standoff that closed the 5 Freeway in northern San Diego County near the San Onofre nuclear plant.

Authorities began searching for Limas after managers found blood and other evidence at an apartment in Orange that he moved out of last month.

Trash from the apartment complex is dumped at a Brea landfill, which police searched Thursday night and early Friday.

"We wanted to check it in the event he had discarded the bodies," Adams said.

Evidence suggests that the mother and children were killed inside the apartment, possibly a week ago, police said.

Police said Limas, Hernandez and the children had shared the unit.

Neighbors, who asked not to be identified, said they heard loud music coming from the apartment between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the night the killings are thought to have occurred. They described Limas as "odd" and "not approachable."

Limas was arrested after a police spike strip disabled his car near the nuclear plant. He surrendered unarmed after an hourlong standoff.

Limas was booked on suspicion of murder.

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--Ruben Vives

twittercom/latvives

Luis Hernandez, 27

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Luis Hernandez, a 27-year-old Latino, was fatally shot Sunday, May 6, in the 8100 block of Lou Dillon Avenue in Florence-Firestone, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Hernandez was found about 12:25 a.m., said Deputy Tony Moore of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Coroner's records show Hernandez suffered several gunshot wounds.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with details about the killing is asked to call the sheriff's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Kate Mather

Rudondo Puckett, 58

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Rudondo Puckett, a 58-year-old black man, was shot and killed Sunday, May 6, near 105th Street and Compton Avenue in Watts, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

About 3 a.m., authorities received a 911 call regarding a shooting, said LAPD Southeast homicide Det. J. Jamison, who is handling the case.

When officials arrived, they found Puckett wounded. He was taken by paramedics to St. Francis Medical Center, where he later died, Jamison said.

Investigators do not know what led up to the shooting. No arrests have been made in connection with the case.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to contact Dets. Jamison or McCoy at (213) 485-4341. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

Donovan Hoover, 27

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Donovan Hoover, a 27-year-old black man, was fatally shot Sunday, May 6, in the 200 block of West 37th Street in Historic South-Central, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Hoover was killed about 1:30 a.m. near the intersection of Broadway and 37th Street when an unknown assailant walked up and shot him several times in the chest, Los Angeles police officer Gregory Baek said.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, Baek said. Coroner's records show Hoover suffered gunshot wounds to his head, torso, arms and legs.

No arrests had been made. Investigators believe the shooting was gang-related.

Anyone with details about the killing is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at (877) 527-3247. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 .

— Kate Mather

Isaac Preciado, 18

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Isaac Preciado, an 18-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Sunday, May 6, in the1100 block of Linden Avenue in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Officers responded to a call about 11:54 a.m. regarding a man lying in the roadway with a gunshot wound, according to a Long Beach Police Department news release.

When authorities arrived, they discovered Preciado had a wound to his upper body. He was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, officials said.

Later that evening, a 21-year-old Latino from Long Beach surrendered himself to police and he was booked on suspicion of murder.

Officials said the alleged assailant's identity is being withheld due to the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information about the fatal shooting is asked to contact homicide Dets. Mark McGuire or Greg Krabbe at (562) 570-7244. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

Missing O.C. mother's body found at L.A. County morgue

Sat, 05 May 2012 21:49:10 -0700

The body of 31-year-old Arlet Hernandez Contreras, who investigators suspected was killed along with her two sons at an Orange County apartment complex, has been found at the Los Angeles County morgue.

Homicide detectives contacted various coroner offices, asking if they had any unidentified female bodies, said Orange Police Sgt. Dan Adams. The Los Angeles County coroner's office responded, indicating it had a woman who appeared to have been stabbed to death. The case was being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

"Last night, it was confirmed that female's body is our adult victim," Adams said Saturday.

The body was found April 25 in the city of La Puente, Adams said.

So far, the bodies of Contreras' two children, a 4-month-old and a 2-year-old, have not been found.

Shazer Fernando Limas, 31, was arrested late Thursday after a long police chase and standoff that closed Interstate 5 in northern San Diego County near the San Onofre nuclear plant.

Authorities began searching for Limas after managers found blood and other evidence at an apartment in Orange that he moved out of last month.

Trash from the apartment complex is dumped at a Brea landfill, which police searched Thursday night and early Friday.

"We wanted to check it in the event he had discarded the bodies," Adams said.

Evidence suggests that the three were killed inside the apartment, possibly a week ago, police said.

Police said Limas, Hernandez and the children had shared the unit.

Neighbors, who asked not to be identified, said they heard loud music coming from the apartment between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the night the killings are thought to have occurred. They described Limas as "odd" and "not approachable."

Limas was arrested after a police spike strip disabled his car near the nuclear plant. He surrendered unarmed after an hourlong standoff.

Limas was booked on suspicion of murder.

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Photo: Arlet Hernandez Contreras Credit: Orange Police Department

Driver suspected of injuring mother, son sought by L.A. police

Sat, 05 May 2012 20:33:00 -0700

Los Angeles police are seeking the public's help finding a suspected hit-and-run driver who they say seriously injured a 57-year-old woman and her 5-year-old son Friday.

The woman, whose name was not released by authorities, and the boy were crossing Broadway at 41st Street when they were struck by a silver 1991 Toyota Previa traveling north on Broadway, authorities said.

The driver stopped, but then fled on foot, failing to identify himself or render aid to the woman and her son as required by law, police said.

The driver has been identified as 43-year-old Steve Smith of South Los Angeles. He is described as about 5 feet 5 and 210 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. M. Kaden at (213) 972-7837 or Det. J. Mapson at (213) 972-1825. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can call (800) 222-8477.

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Photo: Steve Edward Smith Credit: LAPD

Tujunga woman may have been kidnapped by son, police say

Sat, 05 May 2012 20:16:10 -0700

A 52-year-old woman may have been kidnapped from her Tujunga home by her son, who has a history of mental illness and making threats on his mother, police said.

Family and friends of Margarita Stephens reported her missing Friday after not seeing or hearing from her for three days, according to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department.

Stephens had also missed work and her cellphone, which she normally answers, was going straight to voice mail, police said.

Officers were sent to her home in the 10200 block of Samoa Avenue, but they did not find her or her car.

Investigators suspect her son, 28-year-old Jose Perez, may have kidnapped her.

Perez was recently released from a mental facility and convicted on charges of making threats against his mother, authorities said.

Investigators say a locator on Stephens' phone showed that about 9 p.m. on Thursday, she may have been traveling in or near Angeles Crest Highway in La Crescenta.

Police are searching for her silver 2009 four-door Toyota Corolla, with California license plate 6HDR215.

Stephens is Puerto Rican. She's 5 feet 7 and weighs 160 pounds. She has black hair, brown eyes and medium complexion, police said. She has a tattoo of a bracelet on her right ankle.

Perez weighs 210 pounds, is 6 foot and has black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Foothill Community Police Station at (818) 756-8861 or a tip line at (800) 222-8477.

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Photo: Top left, Margarita Stephens; bottom right, Tony Perez. Credit: LAPD

'Explosives Threat Bandit' charged in string of robberies

Sat, 05 May 2012 15:31:12 -0700

A man known as the "Explosives Threat Bandit" for threatening tellers with a bomb device was charged last week in a string of bank heists he allegedly pulled off in the Los Angeles area.

William Joseph Allen, 32, of Los Angeles was indicted by a federal grand jury on eight counts of bank robbery and attempted bank robbery, the FBI said Saturday. He was arrested by Los Angeles police in mid-April and is being held without bail in a federal detention facility in California City.

In the first two robberies, in November of last year, Allen allegedly left a package of wires and electronic devices that he said an accomplice would set off if tellers didn't do what they were told. This “establishment will not exist,” he warned in one note.

The bombs were fakes, and authorities say Allen later switched to a more standard MO, brandishing a handgun.

The five robberies and three attempted robberies involved branches of major banks in West Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Venice. The amounts taken ranged from $15,534 to $245.

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Former Miramonte students' lawsuit accuses LAUSD of negligence

Sat, 05 May 2012 13:51:26 -0700

The Los Angeles Unified School District was named in a negligence lawsuit filed this week on behalf of 20 former Miramonte Elementary School students who say they were victims of sexual abuse by a former teacher at the school.

The lawsuit, which names several school board members as well as the current and former principal at Miramonte, claims that the district did not do enough to protect students who lodged complaints about inappropriate conduct at the school.

Mark Berndt, who was charged with 23 counts of committing lewd acts on children in January, was not named in the lawsuit. He has pleaded not guilty. He was fired from the school, located south of downtown Los Angeles, a year earlier.

The charges brought intense scrutiny of the district, which launched an internal investigation to determine how Berndt, a veteran third-grade teacher, could evade suspicion for so long.

The lawsuit said that the district essentially ignored student allegations. It names several complaints filed against the teacher, including one in 1993 in which a student claimed to have been fondled by Berndt. The lawsuit states that no changes were made to the district's “policies, training or supervision, or other actions to protect students," after the complaints.

In February, the district said it did not have any records of complaints against Berndt, who is accused of gagging students with tape, blindfolding them and spoon-feeding his semen to them as part of a “tasting game.”

A call seeking comment from the district was not returned.

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West Hollywood councilman's $7,000 in meals probed by prosecutors

Sat, 05 May 2012 09:25:22 -0700

West Hollywood Councilman John Duran charged dozens of meals to his city expense account, often multiple times a week. Over three years, he spent more than $7,000 at local restaurants, including at such upscale eateries as Cecconi's and Mirabelle on Sunset.

Those meals are now the focus of a probe by Los Angeles County prosecutors who are trying to determine whether Duran's meals violated state law. Prosecutors admit the restaurant bills are small compared with the huge sums involved in recent scandals in Bell, Vernon, Irwindale and elsewhere. But they argue there is an important principle that needs to be tested about how public officials spend taxpayer dollars.

Municipalities have been cracking down on expenses and compensation in the post-Bell era. But if prosecutors decide to file charges in the West Hollywood case, it could have implications for elected officials across California.

David Demerjian, head of the district attorney's Public Integrity Division, said his office has never prosecuted an official for expensing meals inside the city he or she serves. But he said Duran's expenses are suspect because state rules allow meal and related expenses only for "necessary city business." Expensing a meal when out of town on city business is permitted, he said. But it's not justified to regularly expense meals within the city, especially when guests are other city employees, he said.

"I don't mind if Mr. Duran is the test case," he said. "The law is you can be reimbursed if it is a necessary expense. The meeting may be necessary, but the meal isn't in West Hollywood."

Prosecutors have collected hundreds of pages of records -- sales receipts, credit card statements and expense report forms -- from West Hollywood in recent months as part of an inquiry into whether the expenses violated state law. Demerjian said the meal expenses of other council members "paled in comparison" to Duran's expenses.

Duran has responded by creating a legal defense fund for himself.

After a community activist made some of the expenses public last year, West Hollywood took away council members' credit cards and tightened controls on spending. The Times has since reviewed hundreds of pages of expenses accrued by Duran and other council members.

Despite the uproar, City Atty. Michael Jenkins defends Duran's spending and insists he did nothing wrong. Jenkins says Duran followed city policy in the way he expensed the meals and that city rules allow him to be compensated for them.

Council members "work for a living, and it is very difficult to find the time necessary to conduct city business, so they meet with city employees or their deputies over lunch," Jenkins said.

"It doesn't matter if it is lunch or breakfast outside the boundaries; it doesn't make a difference," Jenkins added. "Is there something special about Sacramento versus downtown L.A.? No. That is not a valid legal distinction."

The city pays its full-time council deputies around $100,000 a year. The part-time council members each make about $15,000 a year, according to data from the state controller's office.

Until now, the district attorney's office has gone after officials whose use of city expenses has been blatant.

Longtime Vernon City Administrator Bruce Malkenhorst pleaded guilty last May to illegally using public money to pay for golf outings, massages and meals, as well as paying off his personal Visa credit card and getting the city to pay for his political donations. Former Bell City Administrator Robert Rizzo and seven other Bell leaders were charged with looting more than $5.5 million from one of the county's poorest municipalities.

Demerjian acknowledges the West Hollywood case is more difficult and, if charges are filed, the case might test case law.

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Photo: West Hollywod City Councilman John Duran, shown last year, spent more than $7,000 at local restaurants at taxpayer expense. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Junior Seau death: Surfers' memorial is one of many

Sat, 05 May 2012 09:04:33 -0700

A surfer paddle-out is planned to honor football star Junior Seau, who took his own life Wednesday in Oceanside.

The paddle-out, planned for Sunday in the waters near Seau's beachfront home, is one of several memorials taking place in Seau's honor. His home has become a shrine for fans, who have converged by the thousands, leaving notes and flowers.

Seau's family has expressed gratitude for the community's outpouring of support.

"Thank you so much," Tiaina Seau told a crowd of several hundred outside the home Thursday. "God bless you guys."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

Sobbing uncontrollably, Seau's mother, Luisa, said: "There's so much pain. It's so hard."

On Friday, the city of Oceanside released a recording of the frantic 911 call made by Seau's girlfriend after she returned to his home and found him dead, with a gun nearby. Police did not release the girlfriend's name.

The dispatcher can be heard trying to get details from the woman.

"Is he breathing?" she asked, in a calm voice.

AUDIO: Seau 911 call

"I don't think so," came the quick, agonized reply.

The recording was released by city officials after local media made numerous Public Record Act requests.

Seau's girlfriend returned to the home about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and found him covered in blood in one of the bedrooms, a gun in the bed beside him.

"Oh my God, I need an ambulance," the girlfriend said, her voice thick with crying and heavy breathing. "Oh my God .... My boyfriend shot himself."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

In the recording, the dispatcher advises the woman to attempt CPR on the former football star, and fire officials try to talk her through the procedure. "Help is on the way," said the dispatcher.

The woman said she had been at the gym and had only been gone about an hour. Asked where Seau had shot himself, she said she thought it was in the heart.

The medical examiner has confirmed that Seau, 43, a star player for USC and the San Diego Chargers, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

Officials said plans were shaping up for memorials at a local church and at Oceanside High School, which Seau attended before enrolling at USC.

Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell told The Times' Sam Farmer about the decision to have Seau's brain donated for research.

"The family was considering this almost from the beginning, but they didn't want to make any emotional decisions. And when they came to a joint decision that absolutely this was the best thing, it was a natural occurrence for the Seau family to go forward."

Mitchell told Farmer that the family made the choice "to help other individuals down the road."

Seau sent texts to ex-wife, kids before killing himself

Seau death: Family hopes donating brain will help others

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Francis Sanchez says a prayer at a memorial of flowers and messages for Junior Seau. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Teacher touched girl during class trip, police say

Sat, 05 May 2012 08:02:52 -0700

A Newport Beach man who taught at Santa Ana schools was arrested Thursday for allegedly molesting two teenage girls and possessing child pornography, authorities said.

Alex Bassinne, 50, is accused of touching the buttocks of a 15-year-old girl during a class trip in 2009, and looking down the shirt of a 13-year-old girl in 2010, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Prosecutors said that when the 13-year-old tried to move her shirt to obstruct Bassinne's view, Bassinne allegedly grabbed the shirt and repositioned it so he could see down it again, the Daily Pilot reported.

During his time at Santa Ana High and Raymond A. Villa Fundamental Intermediate schools, Bassinne allegedly made sexual comments and leered at students, the D.A.'s office said.

In 2011, Bassinne and his family moved from Laguna Niguel to Newport Beach, and the man allegedly left a computer disk at the former residence containing graphic child pornography involving girls ages 10 to 12.

Bassinne posted $100,000 bail Thursday and is scheduled to be arraigned June 15 in Orange County Superior Court, prosecutors said.

The Newport Beach and Santa Ana Unified School District police departments are working together to find any other victims. Anyone with information is asked to call Newport Beach police Det. David Syvock at (949) 644-3771, school police Sgt. Manuel Chavez at (714) 558-5739 or supervising investigator Lou Gutierrez at (714) 347-8794.

-- Lauren Williams, Times Community News

Twitter: @lawilliams30

Some California legislators bring arrest records to their campaigns

Sat, 05 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

SACRAMENTO — It isn't enough these days for certain state lawmakers to defend their voting records when seeking reelection. Some also have to explain arrest records.

Within the last 20 months, five state legislators and one former state senator with active campaigns have been arrested on suspicion of crimes including drunk driving, perjury, voter fraud, shoplifting and trying to carry a loaded gun through airport security.

Not since the FBI sting known as Shrimpscam, which targeted influence peddling in the Capitol in the 1990s, have so many state lawmakers posed for booking photos in such a short span of time.

"The people responsible for passing our laws should feel themselves under a special obligation to comply with those laws," said Tracy Westen, chief executive of the Center for Governmental Studies, a nonprofit group promoting open government. "Apparently, a number do not.''

The handcuffs have come as the Legislature has struggled to improve its reputation with a skeptical public. Those under a cloud include:

•State Sen. Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood), who faces eight felony counts, including voter fraud and perjury, for allegedly lying when he said he lived in his Senate district while running for his seat. He has pleaded not guilty. He has two opponents as he runs for reelection in June.

•Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-San Bernardino), who pleaded no contest last month to two misdemeanor charges for attempting to take a loaded pistol onto a commercial airliner at LA/Ontario International Airport. He faces two challengers, including the better-funded mayor of Big Bear Lake.

•Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina), charged Monday with drunk driving following a March 27 arrest while allegedly driving a state vehicle erratically. He has not yet entered a plea. Those running against him this year include a retired police officer.

•Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward), who pleaded no contest in January to shoplifting clothes worth $2,500 from Neiman Marcus in San Francisco. Hayashi must leave the Assembly this year because of term limits but is raising money for a 2014 campaign for the state Senate.

•Assemblyman Martin Garrick (R-Carlsbad), who pleaded no contest in July 2011 to drunk driving. Garrick is termed out this year but is raising funds for a 2014 Senate bid.

•Former state Sen. Richard Alarcon, charged Thursday with 18 counts alleging that he lied about where he lived and voted fraudulently. Alarcon has pleaded not guilty. A member of the Los Angeles City Council, he is running for the state Assembly against four opponents, including another, better-financed Democrat.

Wright and Alarcon said they hope to be cleared before voters go to the polls in the November general election.

"There is nothing I can do about that,'' Wright said of the charges against him. "All I can do is present my record of what I plan to do next year, and people will either accept that or reject that.''

Wright is running against teachers Paul Butterfield, a San Pedro Democrat, and Charlotte A. Svolos, a Torrance Republican. Butterfield said his interest in the contest was sparked by reports of the criminal charges. But neither opposing candidate has reported raising any money.

Meanwhile, Wright has kept his powerful post as chairman of the Senate Governmental Organization Committee and raised $555,000 for his reelection in the past three years.

Hernandez also has the bigger war chest and name as he competes against two others, including retired police officer Joe Gardner, a Republican from Hacienda Heights.

"I think people should expect more from their legislators,'' Gardner said. The other contender, Azusa broker/tax preparer Mike Meza, lists no party affiliation.

Hernandez has apologized for his actions, which he called "poor judgment.''

He has held onto his position as assistant majority whip, and Hayashi remains chairwoman of the Assembly's Business Committee.

Alarcon, who was charged anew by the district attorney this week after a judge tossed out a previous grand jury indictment, faces a better-financed Democratic challenger, Raul Bocanegra of Pacoima. A legislative aide, Bocanegra was convicted in 2002 of drunk driving.

The charge was later expunged, after he attended a driver-safety class. "I deeply regret the mistake I made," Bocanegra said.

Alarcon predicted Bocanegra would try to make political hay of the councilman's criminal case but said, "We're quite confident the voters will see through that and vote for us.''

The contest also features three Republicans: Sylmar businessman Ricardo Benitez, Sylmar retired legal administrator Margie Carranza and Van Nuys parole officer Omar Cuevas.

For Donnelly, who did not return calls from The Times, the gun episode is an issue in his reelection effort. "It's been a huge embarrassment to responsible gun owners like myself,'' said challenger William Jahn, mayor of Big Bear Lake. The other contestant is John Coffey, a Democratic educator from Barstow.

It remains to be seen whether arrests will cost the lawmakers their jobs.

Voters do look at such things as candidates' legal problems, said Allan Hoffenblum, who analyzes election contests in his nonpartisan California Target Book. But he noted that other elected officials have run afoul of the law and still salvaged their government careers.

Former state Sen. Art Torres, a Democrat from Los Angeles, pleaded no contest to drunk driving in 1987 and 1990 but was later elected to a third term and subsequently headed the state Democratic Party. After state Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) pleaded no contest to drunk driving in 2010, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him to a $128,109-a-year post on the state Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board.

Voters may no longer see their representatives' troubles as abnormal, said Michael Josephson, founder of an ethics advocacy group in Los Angeles.

"We're in an era when people are on one hand more cynical and on the other hand more forgiving,'' he said. "I guess there is a percentage of voters who are willing to say, 'This is my guy, good or bad.'"

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

Man allegedly killed stepdaughter to hide molestation

Sat, 05 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Nancy Eomurian was driving through a Long Beach church parking lot April 28 when she found a man covered in blood lying on the ground near the lifeless body of his 9-year-old stepdaughter.

Next to the child she saw what appeared to be nonsensical scrawl written on the side of a container.

"I first thought the scrawl was graffiti, then I realized it was blood," Eomurian said. "It was like time stopped."

Prosecutors allege that the man, 31-year-old Jacinto Zuniga Trujillo, killed the girl out of fear she would reveal that he had been molesting her.

The L.A. County district attorney's office accused Trujillo of capital murder and molestation, alleging that he had abused the girl for months.

They allege he stabbed the girl repeatedly with a knife before slashing himself in an attempt to take his own life.

The girl "was killed because she was a witness to a crime," said district attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison. The crime, Robison said, was her molestation.

The charges include a special circumstances count that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty, though no decision has been made on that.

Trujillo appeared in court this week but has not entered a plea. His attorney could not be reached for comment Friday.

He and the girl were found at the back of Los Altos United Methodist Church on Saturday at about 11 a.m.

Eomurian was on her way to donate blood when she found them. She got out of her car and asked Trujillo "Do you know who this is?" and pointed to the girl.

"Other daughter," he replied.

She immediately called 911, then saw Trujillo walking away. She said she told him to come back.

"I wonder to myself why is he leaving," she said. "I thought he was a victim."

Long Beach police found Trujillo near the church. He was taken to a Long Beach hospital for treatment and was released the next day. Authorities immediately took him into custody on suspicion of murder.

Neither police nor prosecutors have revealed many details about the case or how they came to learn about the alleged molestation.

Trujillo was charged with five counts of oral copulation and sexual penetration.

Eomurian, 67, said she was still coming to terms with what happened. She said she wanted to keep the memory of the girl alive by raising money to help with her burial and perhaps set up a memorial fund.

"I don't want her to be forgotten," she said.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Orange County man held in deaths of girlfriend, 2 sons

Sat, 05 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

A man suspected of killing his girlfriend and their two young sons is in jail while authorities continue searching for the bodies after unsuccessfully combing an Orange County landfill Friday.

Shazer Limas, 31, of Orange was booked on suspicion of murder in the deaths of Arlet Hernandez, 31, and their sons — a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old.

Limas was arrested late Thursday after a long police chase and standoff that closed Interstate 5 in north San Diego County near the San Onofre nuclear plant, backing up traffic for miles in both directions.

Authorities began searching for Limas after managers found blood and other evidence at the apartment in Orange that he had just vacated.

Trash from the sprawling complex is dumped at a Brea landfill. Police searched it Thursday night before finally giving up about 8 a.m. Friday.

"We wanted to check it in the event he had discarded the bodies somewhere in the building," Orange Police Sgt. Dan Adams said.

Evidence suggests that the three were killed inside the apartment, possibly a week ago, police said.

Sheriff's tape remains across the apartment door at the Renaissance at Uptown Orange, a gated complex near UCI Medical Center. Police said Limas, Hernandez and the children shared the unit.

Notices from the management company taped to doors throughout the complex said: "We understand that being in a community where a crime may have occurred is troubling."

Limas was arrested after a police spike strip disabled his car near the nuclear plant. He surrendered unarmed after an hourlong standoff.

Police said Limas, who is being held without bail at Orange County Jail, is talking with investigators. In booking papers, he described himself as a franchise manager.

"We're hoping he helps us so we can bring some closure to the family," Adams said.

mike.anton@latimes.com

Los Angeles Times staff writer Esmeralda Bermudez contributed to this report.

UC report urges measured response to protests

Sat, 05 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

University of California police and administrators should use mediation instead of confrontation when dealing with most student protests, but pepper spray might remain a necessary tool of last resort, according to a UC draft report on campus civil disobedience.

The new study, released Friday, urged that campus police be trained to defuse potentially volatile situations and that UC officials not even mobilize police at peaceful demonstrations. In the rare instances when force is required, the report recommended the campus police try "hands-on pain compliance" such as arm twisting or pressure points "before pepper spray or batons whenever feasible."

However, the high-ranking administrators who led the study said that UC should not ban pepper spray because more national research is needed to compare its health and injury risks to those of batons and Tasers. "Without information on comparative safety, we think it would be imprudent for us to offer any conclusive recommendations on whether UC police officers should continue to carry pepper spray," according to the study, which was written by UC Berkeley law school Dean Christopher Edley Jr. and the UC system's vice president and general counsel, Charles Robinson.

The 158-page report, "Response to Protests on UC Campuses," was commissioned as one of several UC investigations into controversial incidents in November: the use of pepper spray by campus police on student protesters at UC Davis and complaints that UC Berkeley demonstrators were roughed up with batons by campus police. UC President Mark G. Yudof asked for recommendations on how to improve handling of protests, balancing free speech rights with the need for safety and order.

The study cost about $300,000 in fees to legal firms that researched policies, conducted interviews with experts and compiled data, officials said.

A separate study on the UC Davis pepper-spraying, released last month, sharply criticized the police actions and administrators' decisions in handling protests. In its wake, the campus police chief resigned.

Patrick Manh Le, a UC Irvine senior who is the undergraduate chair for the statewide UC Student Assn., said Friday's report was a good "first step," particularly in its recommendations about better communications with protesters. But he said he wished it had moved to ban pepper spray and examined the causes of the recent uptick in student demonstrations, fueled by steep rises in tuition. "The issue is really that UC leadership has failed to listen to students" about higher tuition and reduced services, he said.

Many of the 50 recommendations in Friday's report seek to avoid conflict by keeping communications open with activists, minimizing police presence at peaceful rallies and ensuring that campus administrators have the final say on use of force. Among other things, it suggests that outside police be brought to campuses only in extreme situations, that campuses develop guidelines for the use of weapons, that rallies be videotaped and that some protesters who break rules be disciplined under UC conduct codes rather than face criminal arrest.

"I'm totally confident that if our recommendations had been in place, the mistakes that were made in November wouldn't have been made," Edley said at a press conference.

Robinson urged that student demonstrators act responsibly, not damaging property or blocking other students' rights to attend class. "They should conduct themselves in a way that does not jeopardize the safety of others in the community," Robinson said. "While we respect civil disobedience as a tactic in bringing attention to and perhaps resolving certain objectives, they should realize that their actions do have an impact on the rest of the community and may result in a consequence."

After a three-week public comment period, a final report is expected to go to Yudof, faculty leaders and the UC regents for review. Yudof can order policy changes without a formal regents' vote.

Edley and Robinson disagreed on how to handle the noisy sit-ins that have disrupted recent UC Board of Regents meetings. Robinson said he would first try to persuade demonstrators to leave but that "some level of force, I hope the lowest level necessary" might be used. Edley said he thought the regents should move to another meeting room unless there was property damage or a threat to safety.

larry.gordon@latimes.com

Cinco de Mayo drunk driving crackdown begins

Sat, 05 May 2012 07:22:34 -0700

Local police officials, along with the California Highway Patrol, plan to ramp up efforts to get drunk drivers off the road this Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Various Cinco de Mayo events are planned across Southern California, including one all day on Olvera Street in downtown L.A.

The so-called "saturation patrols" will begin tonight at 6 p.m. and last through weekend as many people throughout region no doubt celebrate the holiday with a good measure of tequila. Authorities say that's fine, just be sure to designate a sober driver before hitting the road.

Police across the county will be participating in the "Avoid the 100 DUI Task Force" campaign, which is funded allocated by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

“In this day and age, there is no excuse for driving drunk,” the office's director, Christopher J. Murphy, said in a statement.

The CHP, meanwhile, plans to increase patrols on freeways and in unincorporated parts of the county, according to an announcement.

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Second woman raped during 'spiritual cleansing,' officials say

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Tot roamed O.C. parking lot while mom was on drugs, officials say

-- Jason Wells, Times Community News

Twitter: @JasonBretWells

Suspect in 'snowboarder bandit' bank robberies arrested

Fri, 04 May 2012 23:26:26 -0700

A suspect in a series of bank robberies attributed to the “snowboarder bandit” was arrested Friday by police and federal agents.

The bandit earned his nickname because he wore knit caps and sweaters and struck agents as having the general look of a snowboarder.

Michael B. Franks, 29, of Riverside is expected to remain in custody over the weekend and be charged next week, according to an FBI news release.

The joint investigation leading to Franks’ arrest involved law enforcement agencies in Orange, Riverside and Ventura counties.

No further details were available late Friday.

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Junior Seau 911 call: 'My boyfriend shot himself'

Headed to Vegas or Big Bear? Beware I-215 freeway closure

ICE agent killed after disciplining son, 14, law sources believe

-- Scott Glover

Photo: Surveillance footage of the snowboarder bandit. Credit: FBI

Man stumbles out of South L.A. motel and dies

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:28:12 -0700

Police are investigating the death of a 65-year-old man who stumbled out of a motel in South Los Angeles, possibly after being attacked in one of the rooms.

The incident happened about 9:30 a.m. at Little Ceasar’s Motel at 261 E. 43rd Place, said Det. Gus Villanueva of the Los Angeles Police Department.

"Somebody called and said they saw a male walk out of the motel stumbling," Villanueva said. "They said he collapsed on the ground near the gate."

It was not clear how the man died, but detectives were on the scene this afternoon investigating, Villanueva said.

No arrests have been made.

ALSO:

Long Beach man killed child to cover up sex abuse, DA alleges

14-year-old arrested in Santa Ana shooting; gang rivalry blamed

Bloody apartment leads to search for bodies of missing mom, 2 boys

-- Esmeralda Bermudez

Lohan won't be charged in alleged hit-and-run of lounge manager

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:24:30 -0700

Lindsay Lohan won't face any criminal charges in connection with an allegation that her car hit the manager of the Hookah Lounge in Hollywood, because prosecutors say that a video shows no collision and that the alleged victim was less than credible.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office declined to prosecute the 25-year-old actress after reviewing a police investigation into the March 13 incident.

A charge could have been considered a violation of Lohan's probation terms for a 2011 necklace theft conviction.

Prosecutors described a car pulling into a parking lot shortly after 11 p.m. and then beginning to maneuver before the driver and passenger switched positions. According to Deputy Dist. Atty John Gilligan, the security video is too grainy to identify the individuals. The car continues to turn around and leaves the lot. Two pedestrians are seen on the video, which "does not show any collision," prosecutors said.

Later that evening, Thaer Kamal, the manager of the Hookah Lounge, called 911 and reported that he and his car were struck in the parking lot. He said that the suspect's vehicle "rubbed along his right leg but that it was uninjured and he did not want police involved." Kamal said he declined medical aid, according to Gilligan's written rejection of any charges.

During a later interview at this home, Kamal told police that he went to the hospital and that his left leg was uninjured. He refused to provide medical records and said his attorney informed him not to "provide any further information."

Lohan through her attorney declined to make a statement.

Kamal, along with his attorney's assistant, met with detectives and handed over a compact disc of photos of a bruised left knee and a receipt from a Kaiser medical center, according to Gilligan's charge evaluation sheet. The detective, Gilligan wrote, saw a bandage on Kamal's knee but "did not see a bruise."

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Junior Seau 911 call: 'My boyfriend shot himself'

Headed to Vegas or Big Bear? Beware I-215 freeway closure

ICE agent’s son charged with murder; DA wants him tried as adult

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Lindsay Lohan with attorney Shawn Holley in court. Credit: Michael Nelson / Associated Press

Neighbor charged with killing 94-year-old woman with hammer

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:00:49 -0700

A Ramona man was charged Friday with using a hammer to kill a 94-year-old woman who lived in the same mobile home park as he did in northern San Diego County.

Gary Allen Thomas, 63, was charged in the death of Mary Jean Eskridge, a retired dancer who performed with the big bands of the 1940s and then opened a dance studio in Spring Valley, east of San Diego. She was found dead in her home Tuesday.

Dist. Atty. Bonnie Dumanis said her office "is very interested in hearing from members of the public who may know more about this horrific crime or the defendant."

No alleged motive was asserted in court documents charging Thomas with first-degree murder.

ALSO:

Junior Seau 911 call: 'My boyfriend shot himself'

Headed to Vegas or Big Bear? Beware I-215 freeway closure

ICE agent killed after disciplining son, 14, law sources believe

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

ICE agent’s son charged with murder; DA wants him tried as adult

Fri, 04 May 2012 14:12:41 -0700

The 14-year-old son of an ICE agent was charged Friday with murdering his father, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office says prosecutors now will push to have the juvenile tried as an adult.

The teen, who has not been identified by authorities, is due in Compton Juvenile Court on Monday for arraignment, Deputy Dist. Atty. Todd Hicks said in a statement. The youth also faces an allegation that he used a firearm to kill his father, the district attorney’s office said.

Authorities allege that the 14-year-old fatally shot his father, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Myron W. Chisem, striking him once in the head Wednesday as the 42-year-old sat in the family room watching TV. Police said the shot was fired from the backyard of the family's home in Carson.

The son called 911, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said, and deputies found Chisem's ICE-issued handgun in the front yard.

District attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said it was not yet clear whether prosecutors would seek first-degree murder charges or some lesser count. She noted that with the added firearm allegation, the teen would face a lengthy sentence if convicted of murder as an adult.

The teen is believed to have been angry at the time of the shooting after being disciplined for misbehaving, according to law enforcement sources.

Investigators are continuing to examine the events leading to the shooting. District attorney officials said the teen is in custody but were unclear on his exact location.

A memorial service for the agent likely will be scheduled for next week, a family friend said.

Slain ICE agent identified as Navy veteran, Torrance native

ICE agent killed after disciplining son, 14, law sources believe

-- Matt Stevens and Richard Winton

Photo: Authorities remove the body of Myron W. Chisem from his home Thursday morning. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times.

Junior Seau's family thanks fans for their support

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:40:37 -0700

The family of Junior Seau has expressed gratitude for the community's outpouring of support after the football star took his life.

Seau's parents made a tearful appearance outside his home Thursday night during which they thanked the crowd that had gathered, and all of the San Diego region, for showing such admiration and love for their son.

"Thank you so much," Tiaina Seau told the crowd of several hundred outside the beachfront home. "God bless you guys."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

Sobbing uncontrollably, Seau's mother, Luisa, said: "There's so much pain. It's so hard."

In hopes of helping others, the family has decided to have Seau's brain studied by doctors to see whether he suffered brain injuries.

The decision came after the San Diego County medical examiner concluded that Seau died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

Seau, 43, a famed player at USC and for the San Diego Chargers, was found dead in bed at his Oceanside home about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday by his girlfriend. A gun was found near the body, but there was no note, officials said.

Officials said plans for memorials late next week are shaping up, at a local church and at Oceanside High School, which Junior Seau attended before enrolling at USC.

San Diego Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell told The Times' Sam Farmer about the decision to have Seau's brain donated for research.

Mitchell told Farmer that the family made the choice "to help other individuals down the road."

The issue of brain injuries among football players has been highlighted by the deaths of a number of former players at a relatively early age. Although Seau was not known publicly for having sustained concussions, that does not rule out the possibility of brain injuries incurred during his long career, medical experts said.

Researchers at Boston University, among the leaders in the study of brain injuries, have reportedly asked to examine Seau's brain.

Asked whether Seau had suffered concussions during his 20-year career, his ex-wife, Gina, told ESPN, "Of course he had. He always bounced back and kept on playing. He's a warrior. That didn't stop him. I don't know what football player hasn't. It's not ballet. It's part of the game."

Seau, an All-American at USC and 12-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker, played 13 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and three seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He left the game briefly but then played with the New England Patriots for four seasons before calling it quits for good after the 2009 season.

After Seau's death was announced by police Wednesday, the San Diego Chargers urged fans to pray.

"Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now," the team said in a statement. "We ask everyone to stop what they're doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family. ... The outpouring of emotion is no surprise."

At USC, Athletic Director Pat Haden called Seau "one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55."

"He was one of the greatest Trojans of all time," USC football Coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement.

Former USC football star Reggie Bush, who like Seau went to high school in the San Diego area, said on Twitter: "This one hurts San Diego! One of the greatest to come from the city."

Seau, who graduated from Oceanside High as a multi-sport letterman, is a member of the high school's Hall of Fame. Officials with the Oceanside Unified School District called his death "a huge loss."

The "passing of former Oceanside High School standout Junior Seau is a huge loss for his family, the Oceanside community and our district,” district officials said in a statement. "Junior personally contributed many positive things to those residing in the North County, most particularly his alma mater, Oceanside High School."

RELATED:

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Seau's death mourned by Chargers, local high school

Junior Seau sent texts to ex-wife, kids before killing himself

-- Tony Perry in San Diego and Rick Rojas in Oceanside

EDITOR'S PICKS:

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Second woman raped during 'spiritual cleansing,' officials say

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:21:21 -0700

A man charged in April with raping a woman in a Santa Ana motel room under the pretense of performing a "spiritual cleansing" involving raw eggs has been charged with sexually assaulting a second woman using the same ruse.

Alberto Flores Ramirez, 36, allegedly met his first victim on an online dating site and lured her to the Aloha Motel by telling her he could help bring her children to California from Mexico.

The victim told authorities that the man said he would perform "a spiritual cleansing on her to get rid of her negative vibes," according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Ramirez is accused of rubbing raw eggs on the victim's body and fondling her and then sexually assaulting her. A second victim came forward after seeing reports of the first case on a Spanish-language television station, authorities said Friday.

The second women allegedly told investigators that she also was lured by promises of a "spiritual cleansing" and met the suspect at the same Santa Ana motel in February.

Ramirez, authorities said, poured ammonia on the second victim's head while she was lying on the bed, causing her to become dizzy and disoriented. He then raped her, they said.

"It's really strange and it's really unfortunate because he seems like he's preying on women that have had bad luck with men in the past or emotional issues in their lives," Deputy Dist. Atty. Whitney Bokosky said.

"They think he's going to help them," the prosecutor added.

Ramirez faces two felony counts each of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, along with one count each of attempted forcible oral copulation and penetration by a foreign object by force. He now also faces a sentencing enhancement for sex crimes against multiple victims.

He faces a maximum sentence of 75 years to life if convicted. Authorities said they will ask that his bail be increased $100,000 to $1 million when he is arraigned Friday.

ALSO:

14-year-old arrested in Santa Ana shooting; gang rivalry blamed

Tot roamed O.C. parking lot while mom was on drugs, officials say

Bloody apartment leads to search for bodies of missing mom, 2 boys

-- Matt Stevens
twitter.com/mattstevenslat

Photo: Alberto Flores Ramirez. Credit: KTLA

14-year-old arrested in Santa Ana shooting; gang rivalry blamed

Occupy San Diego protester gets three months in jail

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:12:08 -0700

A 26-year-old San Diego man has been sentenced to three months in jail after being convicted of attempting to block the arrest of a fellow Occupy San Diego protester.

Andrew Fisher was also sentenced to three years probation after his release.

Of 44 people charged with misdemeanor offenses during the Occupy San Diego protest, only five have gone to trial. Most cases have ended with plea agreements.

Two cases ended in hung juries, one in acquittal and two in conviction. The other conviction resulted in a sentence of probation and community service.

After a five-day trial, Fisher was convicted of two counts of resisting or delaying an officer, and he was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Richard Whitney.

"While protesting is a cherished right, it is not a license to break criminal laws," City Atty. Jan Goldsmith said.

Occupy San Diego protesters camped out in the plaza behind City Hall for several weeks last year. Later, they were ordered off the plaza but allowed to stay in a grassy area near Civic Center Plaza.

Fisher allegedly attempted to pull a woman away from police as they sought to arrest her for crossing a perimeter onto the plaza.

ALSO:

Costa Mesa man pleads not guilty in dismemberment case

ICE agent killed after disciplining son, 14, law sources believe

UC report urges better training for response to civil disobedience

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Occupy San Diego protest on Civic Plaza behind City Hall. Credit: Tony Perry / Los Angeles Times

Alarcon, wife again plead not guilty to voter fraud charges

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:09:21 -0700

Councilman Richard Alarcon and his wife, Flora Montes de Oca Alarcon, on Friday again proclaimed their innocence on 24 felony charges of perjury and voter fraud refiled by the district attorney's office -- one day after a judge threw out the original case.

The Alarcons each entered a plea of not guilty to new charges alleging they lied about living in a Panorama City house so that he could run for his 7th District office. Prosecutors allege they were actually living in his wife's house in Sun Valley, just outside his district.

Thursday morning, Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy threw out the case, granting a defense motion to dismiss based on procedural errors.

Deputy Dist. Atty Jennifer Lentz Snyder said this time she will take the case to a preliminary hearing -- the traditional route of criminal filings -- instead of a grand jury. At a preliminary hearing, a judge hears evidence in a public courtroom and rules whether the evidence in the case is sufficent to set for trial.

Grand jury proceedings are done behind closed doors.

"This is a way for the public to hear evidence at a public hearing,'' Lentz Snyder said. "That way any of the problems that Judge Kennedy seemed to be hung up on simply won't occur."

The Alarcons, in a statement released after the hearing, expressed confidence that they would again beat the charges.

"We were pleased that yesterday, Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy ruled to dismiss all of the charges against us, and we remain confident that once the exonerating evidence we provided is considered, that we will be acquitted of these charges,'' the statement said.

A grand jury in July 2010 indicted the couple after prosecutors presented a case in which 31 prosecution witnesses testified. Kennedy found that Lentz Snyder did not properly instruct grand jurors on their duty to consider defense evidence contained in a packet of documents submitted by the Alarcons' attorneys.

Kennedy, in the Thursday morning hearing, also stated that she thought prosecutors didn't give grand jurors guidance on the difference between a "domicile" and a "residence," a legal distinction at the heart of the case.

Lentz Snyder defended the district attorney's swift action in refiling the charges, saying it's common practice in criminal cases. Richard Alarcon's attorney, Fred Woocher, said it was a disappointing morning for the couple.

"They had to book them again, take fingerprints again, take photos,'' Woocher said. "They did all that two years ago and for whatever reason, we start over again."

The earliest possible date for a trial would be in mid-October, Lentz Snyder said. "We think the evidence will sustain a conviction.''

Alarcon is seeking election to the 39th Assembly District and is locked in a tough battle with Democratic challenger Raul Bocanegra. The top two finishers in the June 5 primary will face off in November.

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Photo: Richard Alarcon, right, and his attorney, Fredric D. Woocher, are shown during an arraignment in 2010. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

Costa Mesa man pleads not guilty in dismemberment case

Fri, 04 May 2012 12:49:32 -0700

A Costa Mesa man accused of killing two people pleaded not guilty and denied sentencing enhancements at his arraignment on Friday.

Daniel Patrick Wozniak, 28, is scheduled to go back to court May 25 to set a trial date. He was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday after prosecutors chose to skip a preliminary hearing and fast-track the case.

Prosecutors charged him with two counts of felony murder, with sentencing enhancements including murder for financial gain and felony use of a firearm, the Daily Pilot reported.

Wozniak allegedly killed Samuel Herr, 26, and Juri "Julie" Kibuishi, 23, both Orange Coast College students, in May 2010, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Prosecutors allege that Wozniak killed Herr, who lived in his apartment building in Costa Mesa, in order to steal money from his bank account. He allegedly lured the Army veteran to the military reserve base in Los Alamitos, shot him and then dismembered his body, stashing some of the remains in a Long Beach park.

Wozniak is alleged to have then used Herr's cellphone to lure Kibuishi, who was tutoring Herr, to Herr's apartment, where Wozniak allegedly shot her.

He had hoped to frame Herr for her death, which he staged to look like a sexual assault and murder, prosecutors allege.

Wozniak, a community theater actor, was arrested at his bachelor party in Huntington Beach the day before he was going to get married.

Severed head of Afghanistan veteran found in Long Beach park

Prosecutors to seek death penalty against stage actor in double murder

-- Lauren Williams, Times Community News

Photo: Daniel Patrick Wozniak. Credit: Costa Mesa Police Department

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ICE agent killed after disciplining son, 14, law sources believe

Fri, 04 May 2012 12:20:51 -0700

The 14-year-old boy who allegedly shot and killed his father, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent, was angry after being disciplined for misbehaving, according to law enforcement sources.

Fueled by anger, the boy grabbed a handgun, sources believe, and fatally shot his father, Myron W. Chisem, as the father sat watching television Wednesday evening. Investigators are continuing to examine the events leading to the shooting.

Chisem, 42, who was in the family room, was hit once in the head by the shot fired from his Carson backyard. The father might not have seen the shot coming because he was seated with his back to the window, according to one of the sources.

The son called 911, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said, and deputies found Chisem's ICE-issued handgun in the front yard. The sources declined to specify whether the teen admitted shooting his father when he made the initial call.

About eight hours later, the teen was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder.

"This was a domestic violence incident," Lt. Holly Francisco of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. Authorities did not identify Chisem's son by name and said the motive was unclear.

Shawn Butler, a friend of Chisem, told The Times on Thursday that there "was never any indication" of trouble between Chisem and his son. He said the boy had moved in with his father less than a year ago after a family agreement.

"They had a great relationship," Butler said. "He was very proud of his son. He loved him very much. ... All the time I had been around them I had never seen any kind of issues of tension between them."

Francisco said Chisem's girlfriend also lived in the home, but she returned to the 19300 block of Broadacres Avenue after police arrived. Authorities said that after questioning the teen and the woman for most of the night, the boy was arrested about 5 a.m. Thursday.

"This is a difficult time for the family and loved ones of the agent, and for everyone at ICE," ICE Director John Morton said in a statement. "Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers."

It was the second fatal shooting of an ICE agent in the Los Angeles area this year.

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-- Richard Winton

twitter.com/lacrimes

Photo: ICE agents salute as the flag-draped body of fellow agent Myron W. Chisem is removed from his Carson home on Thursday. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

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14-year-old arrested in Santa Ana shooting; gang rivalry blamed

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:51:17 -0700

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in the shooting of a Santa Ana teenager last week over a gang rivalry, police said.

The teen was taken into custody without incident at Santa Ana High School, where he is enrolled in the ninth grade, and a search warrant was served at his residence in an effort to locate the firearm believed to have been used in the assault April 27, police said.

The 16-year-old victim was found lying face down in the alley of 200 S. Flower St., police said.

According to witnesses, authorities said, the victim had been walking when he was approached by the suspect, who was armed with a handgun.

The suspect fired a single shot, striking the victim in the stomach, and then fled on foot, police said.

The 16-year-old, who remains in critical condition, also attends Santa Ana High School, police said. The teens were allegedly associates of rival gangs.

Police said they booked the ninth-grader on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and gang enhancements. He is being held at Orange County Juvenile Hall.

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Tot roamed O.C. parking lot while mom was on drugs, officials say

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-- Richard Winton

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News: San Onofre nuclear plant may resume partial service in June

George Skelton: California's truly loopy tax loophole

Long Beach man killed child to cover up sex abuse, DA alleges

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:29:56 -0700

<&&&&&&&&&&> A Long Beach man is facing capital murder and molestation charges as authorities allege that he stabbed to death his 9-year-old stepdaughter to cover up months of sexual abuse.

Jacinto Zuniga Trujillo, 31, is alleged to have stabbed the girl -- identified in court papers as Xiomara J. -- because he feared she might reveal that he been sexually abusing her since November, prosecutors alleged.

The District Attorney's Office filed a special circumstances murder charge, which would allow it to seek the death penalty in the case.

The girl's lifeless body was found in the parking lot of the Los Altos United Methodist Church on Saturday at about 11 a.m. Trujillo was found a short distance from the girl's body, suffering from self-inflicted stab wounds. Investigators say he attempted to commit suicide.

He was taken to a Long Beach hospital for treatment and released the next day. Authorities immediately took him into custody on suspicion of murder. Trujillo has yet to enter a plea in the case but made a brief appearance in Long Beach Superior Court earlier this week.

Trujillo is accused of the special circumstance allegation that the victim "was killed because she was a witness to a crime," specifically child molestation.

He also charged with five counts of oral copulation and sexual penetration with a child under the age of 10 involving the victim.

The District Attorney’s Office will not make a decision on whether to seek the death penalty against Trujillo until the case moves closer to trial.

Authorities found letters written in blood next to the girl's body in a lot at the corner of Woodruff Avenue and Willow Street. The writing was on the side of what appeared to be a gray container that authorities are considering evidence in the case. No other details about the letters immediately were available.

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Police search Brea landfill but don't find bodies of mom, 2 kids

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:37:25 -0700

Police searched through the night in a landfill in Brea, hoping to find the bodies of a mother and two sons who are believed to have been killed by the mother’s boyfriend.

Police have arrested Shazer Limas, 31, of Orange on suspicion of killing Arlet Hernandez, 31, and her two sons, a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old.

Authorities became suspicious of Limas after managers from his former apartment reported found blood and other evidence in the unit he had just vacated. Limas lived in the unit with Hernandez.

Trash from the apartment building is dumped at this Brea landfill, said Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department.

"We wanted to check it in the event he had discarded the bodies somewhere in the building," he said. "But we were not able to locate anything."

Adams said investigators stopped combing through the landfill at about 8 a.m. They do not have any other locations to search at this time, but they continue to press Limas for answers.

"We’re hoping he helps us so we can bring some closure the family," Adams said.

Limas was arrested after leading police on a freeway chase Thursday night. The pursuit down the 405 and 5 freeways ended in a standoff on the I-5 at Camp Pendleton, near the San Onofre nuclear power plant. The freeway was closed in both directions, backing up traffic for miles. After about an hour, Limas surrendered unarmed.

The motive for the killings is unclear. Police believe the three victims were killed inside of the apartment, possibly a week ago.

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Tot roamed O.C. parking lot while mom was on drugs, officials say

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:13:24 -0700

A Mission Viejo mother who allegedly let her 3-year-old girl roam a parking lot unattended was arrested this week after authorities discovered her under the influence of drugs in an apartment, sheriff's officials said.

Milanya Mundell, 29, has been booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of child endangerment and and being under the influence of a controlled substance, Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said. He said the child has been taken into protective custody and was unharmed.

Deputies responded to the apartment complex in the 200 block of California Court just before 10 p.m. Wednesday to calls about the girl, who had been wandering the parking lot for about 20 minutes, crying for her mother, Amormino said.

"Obviously that's pretty out of the ordinary," he said.

Deputies eventually located the mother’s apartment and entered through an open door when knocks went unanswered, according to Amormino. Mundell had locked herself in a master bedroom and deputies heard a toilet flushing several times as deputies tried to get her to open the door, Amormino said.

Mundell appeared under the influence when she exited the room and investigators found a loaded syringe in the room, Amormino said. He added that deputies executed a search warrant that night and found additional drugs, the spokesman said.

Orange County jail records list Mundell as in custody as of Friday morning, being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

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Twitter.com/mattstevenslat

Photo: Milanya Mundell. Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Transgender woman killed in possible Oakland hate crime

Fri, 04 May 2012 08:54:07 -0700

A transgender woman was shot to death in downtown Oakland earlier this week; friends believe she was killed because of her gender identity.

The Oakland Tribune reported that the victim was born Milton Massey Jr. of Hayward but identified as Brandy Martell. The 37-year-old was killed about 5:20 a.m. Sunday as she sat in a car with three transgender women friends at 13^th and Franklin streets.

The motive of the killing was unclear, but police told the newspaper that a hate crime is a possible motive.

Tiffany Woods, Massey’s former supervisor at the Tri-City Health Center in Fremont, said the friends were hanging out in the car when they were approached by two men. When Martell and her friends told the men they were transgender, the men left.

Later, the men returned and shot Martell, Woods told the San Francisco Chronicle. No one else in the car was injured.

The men "could have just said they weren’t cool with it and walked away," Woods said. "But they decided to come back and engage in quick and violent confrontation."

Woods runs TransVision, a resource program for transgender women. She said Martell worked with her for four years and was respected by many in the transgender community.

She said transgender women often gather in downtown Oakland to prostitute themselves, but Martell had never done so.

"She was funny, loved and valued," Woods told the newspaper.

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Cooley refiles charges after judge rejects Alarcon case

Fri, 04 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Moving swiftly after a judge dismissed his case Thursday morning, Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley six hours later refiled 24 perjury and voter fraud charges against Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon and his wife, Flora Montes de Oca Alarcon.

The new charges, which accuse the Alarcons of lying about living in a house in Panorama City so that the councilman could run for his 7th District seat, mirror the allegations in the grand jury indictment thrown out by Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy, who was ruling on a defense motion.

There was no immediate comment from Alarcon, who said earlier that he and his wife were "very pleased" by the judge's decision. The couple's arraignment was still to be scheduled.

Kennedy threw out the July 2010 indictment after finding that the prosecution failed to properly instruct jurors of their duty to consider defense evidence that purported to exonerate the Alarcons, who maintain their innocence.

Cooley disputed the judge's reasoning, however, saying she ignored legal precedents in dismissing the charges.

"The grand jury transcripts clearly show that our prosecutors did indeed present evidence submitted by the councilman and his wife," Cooley said. "The grand jury chose not to consider it, as is their right."

Thursday's flurry of court activity comes less than five weeks before Alarcon faces Raul Bocanegra, a former legislative aide and educator, for the 39th Assembly District seat in the June 5 primary. They are the top two Democrats vying for a Democrat-leaning seat being vacated by Bocanegra's former boss, Felipe Fuentes.

The charges against Alarcon include two felony counts of filing false candidacy papers in 2006 and 2008, seven counts of voter fraud and nine counts of perjury. His wife is charged with three counts of perjury and three counts of voter fraud.

Alarcon and his wife listed a tract house in Panorama City as their new residence in 2006, just as he was preparing to run for the council after an eight-year absence. They said they only temporarily moved to a residence in Sun Valley while a major restoration was underway at the Panorama City house.

Prosecutors allege that the couple lived in the Sun Valley house all along and that the councilman in 2007 even tried unsuccessfully to have the 7th District's boundaries redrawn to include the Sun Valley home, which is owned by his wife.

Thirty-one prosecution witnesses testified before the grand jury. The defense submitted documents purporting to show that the couple indeed lived at the Panorama City house. But Kennedy, in dismissing the case, said that packet of information was treated in a cavalier fashion by Deputy Dist. Atty. Jennifer Lentz Snyder and was not formally admitted into evidence.

The Alarcons had compiled a roster of witnesses willing to testify that the couple regularly ordered food, picked up prescriptions and supervised repairs to the Panorama City house during the time in question.

"I don't know if Mr. and Mrs. Alarcon are guilty of these charges," Kennedy said. "But I don't think the exculpatory evidence that they provided was properly brought before the grand jury."

The judge indicated that she had other problems with the prosecution, including a "misinterpretation of the law" as to what constitutes a residence in municipal elections.

The dismissal was seen as a rare victory. Stan Goldman, a Loyola Law School professor, said judges sometimes dismiss one or two charges but tend to let a district attorney's case proceed to trial, where jurors can hash out the evidence.

Harland Braun, who is representing Angela Spaccia, Bell's former assistant city manager, on public corruption charges, said he's had one dismissal in his long career. Civilian grand jurors, sitting for just one month, are often law and order citizens who give great weight to prosecution evidence, Braun said.

catherine.saillant@latimes.com

ICE agent killed in Carson; teenage son arrested

Fri, 04 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Everything was going well for Myron W. Chisem, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent since 2007.

One of his daughters was off to college, the other was on her way there, and his son, the youngest of his three children, had decided he wanted to move in with dad.

The 14-year-old was doing well in school, loved playing video games, and even visited the library with Chisem every so often, said Shawn Butler, Chisem's friend.

"In his eyes, everything was peachy, lovely," Butler said.

But late Wednesday, authorities said, the 14-year-old fatally shot his 42-year-old father, striking him once in the head from their Carson backyard as Chisem sat in the family room. The son called 911, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said, and deputies found Chisem's ICE-issued handgun in the frontyard. About eight hours later, the teen was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder.

"This was a domestic violence incident," Lt. Holly Francisco said. Authorities did not identify Chisem's son and said the motive was unclear.

Butler, 41, met Chisem in naval training in 1991 and served with him as a member of ICE. He said there "was never any indication" of trouble between Chisem and his son. He said the boy had moved in with his father less than a year ago after a family agreement.

"They had a great relationship," Butler said. "He was very proud of his son. He loved him very much.... All the time I had been around them I had never seen any kind of issues of tension between them."

As a coroner's van arrived at about 7:30 a.m., about a dozen agents wearing blue ICE jackets gathered outside the home. One sat on a ledge with his head in his hands, while others talked quietly among themselves.

All stood in a line, shoulder to shoulder, as the body, draped in an American flag, was wheeled out on a gurney. Moments later, the agents returned to their cars, turned on their emergency lights and, in an impromptu procession, escorted the van carrying Chisem's body to the coroner's office.

"This is a difficult time for the family and loved ones of the agent, and for everyone at ICE," said ICE Director John Morton. "Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers."

It was the second fatal shooting of an ICE agent in the Los Angeles area this year. In February, a confrontation between agents at the Glenn M. Anderson Building in Long Beach erupted in gunfire that left one agent dead and another seriously injured.

Three ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents were shot in the Northern California town of Petaluma while executing a warrant just after 4 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.

ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said the agents' wounds were not life-threatening and added that the injured agents were able to take the shooter, who was also the arrest target, into custody.

She said ICE would defer questions about weapons safety protocol because of the Sheriff's Department's ongoing investigation into Chisem's slaying.

Meanwhile, residents of Chisem's quiet Carson neighborhood were reeling as the caution tape came down and the TV trucks drove away Thursday morning.

Stephanie Love, who lives three doors down from the agent's home, said Chisem moved into the neighborhood about a year ago. Many others have lived on the street for 20 years or more, she said.

"I grew up in this neighborhood," said Love, 32. "We don't have things like this happen. This is a shock to everybody because this is the type of neighborhood everyone wants to move into."

matt.stevens@latimes.com

kim.christensen@latimes.com

Displaced Miramonte teachers recount their hurt and anger

Fri, 04 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Teachers who were removed from Miramonte Elementary School recounted their experiences for the first time Thursday, telling of public humiliation, lost sleep and questioning the pride they once had in the teaching profession.

At least 40 teachers and other displaced staff members took part in a rally outside Augustus Hawkins High School in South Los Angeles, the unopened campus where they have reported for three months.

Their removal followed the January arrest of former teacher Mark Berndt, who has pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of lewd conduct. He is suspected of taking photos of blindfolded students being spoon-fed his semen as part of an alleged "tasting game." Deputies arrested a second teacher, Martin Springer, on unrelated lewd conduct allegations days later. He also has pleaded not guilty.

L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy announced Feb. 6 that he would replace the entire Miramonte staff — 85 teachers and about 25 others — for the remainder of the school year to restore confidence in the school.

At the rally, a few teachers read statements from colleagues who were not identified.

"All of us have been publicly punished and humiliated for the alleged acts of one person," a teacher wrote in one statement. "I no longer tell people I'm a teacher. Until very recently, I was proud to be one."

The teacher continued: "I haven't had a good night's sleep since January, and I'm unsure of my future and the outcome it will have upon my family."

Local area administrator George McKenna said he had urged the staff to see "the total picture."

"What happened to them was difficult because they were not guilty of any actions that would warrant criminal or administrative repercussions," McKenna said. "They're only part of the investigative process, but they are not suspects."

The school district has not allowed the teachers to be interviewed at Hawkins, and the union also had urged the teachers not to speak publicly.

At the rally, held to protest the district's actions and call for the teachers' reinstatement, one wrote about having to leave the campus.

"I recall feeling shocked and numb. Never did I imagine leaving Miramonte this way. I was expected to pack up ten years in two days."

Another wrote: "I was overwhelmed with so many emotions: sadness, embarrassment, humiliation, anger, anxiety and fear.... As I walked in and out of offices, strangers occupied our space."

One instructor talked of a bond with her special education students. "The teacher that replaced me is highly qualified ... but she must try to fix the damage done to my students caused by my abrupt removal from the classroom."

The transferred employees include those who also are parents of Miramonte students. They have not been allowed on campus to drop off or pick up their children, or to meet with a teacher during school hours.

At Hawkins, teachers have been placed six to a room. They requested coffee pots and refrigerators. Some put up bulletin boards with family photos or farewell letters from students "so we would remember we're more than this investigation," one teacher said in an interview. Her remarks were interrupted several times by students rushing up to give her long hugs.

At least 150 students and parents from Miramonte also took part in the demonstration. Two mothers pushing strollers led a procession of marchers.

"They cannot all be guilty, and they are not," said parent Maria Lujan, objecting to the treatment of teachers.

Sometimes teachers had little to do at Hawkins. Other times they had group meetings with district counselors or officials, where they openly expressed anger or grief.

"It was surreal and I thought to myself, 'What did I do to deserve this?' " a teacher wrote. "For six weeks we were kept in the dark, no new information or interviews from anyone."

They also had training in new curriculum and on teacher evaluations, lesson design and peer review.

Along with law enforcement, L.A. Unified also conducted an investigation. Most teachers have been cleared and it was possible all would be soon, McKenna said.

Ingrid Villeda, a teachers union official in South L.A., said sheriff's deputies asked teachers for help identifying students in photos. School district investigators interviewed employees over two days, she said.

The teachers' futures remain in limbo. A new school will open to relieve overcrowding at Miramonte, so there won't be positions for all former teachers. If necessary, they would work with full pay as substitutes until they find a position, McKenna said.

The Hawkins campus retains the look of a minimum-security prison. Until recently, it was surrounded by an eight-foot construction fence. Entry is through a gated parking structure with a security camera.

One teacher, Maria Miranda, spoke openly at a recent teachers convention. And her email to a colleague was posted online.

"I feel powerless and have lost my sense of purpose," she said. "I was angry in the beginning but now I'm just disillusioned."

She signed it: "Blue at Augustus Hawkins."

howard.blume@latimes.com

Bloody apartment leads to search for bodies of missing mom, 2 boys

Fri, 04 May 2012 07:22:28 -0700

Police are searching for the bodies of a woman and her two young sons, who they believe were slain by the woman’s boyfriend in Orange County.

Shazer Limas, 31, was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of killing Arlet Hernandez, 31, and her two sons, a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old, after he led police on a high-speed chase on Orange County freeways, said Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department.

Authorities became suspicious of Limas after managers from his former apartment reported finding blood and other evidence in the unit he had just vacated. Limas lived in the unit with Hernandez.

After Limas was spotted near the border of Santa Ana and Costa Mesa on Thursday night, he led police on a freeway pursuit down the 405 and 5 freeways.

The pursuit ended in a standoff on Interstate 5 at Camp Pendleton, near the San Onofre nuclear power plant. The freeway was closed in both directions, backing up traffic for miles. After about an hour, Limas surrendered. He was unarmed.

The reason for the suspected killings is unclear, but the couple recently had some sort of altercation, Adams said.

He said police believe the three victims were killed inside of the apartment, possibly a week ago.

They were searching in Orange County and outer areas for the bodies, he said.

"I’m not sure exactly where, but investigators have certain locations they’re looking into," Adams said.

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Salon massacre details revealed: 'He's shooting everybody!'

Fri, 04 May 2012 07:15:13 -0700

Dramatic details emerged from grand jury testimony unsealed in the massacre at the Seal Beach hair salon that left nine people dead.

The transcripts, released Thursday, described a desperate scene when the gunman began opening fire in the bloodiest shooting rampage in Orange County history.

In the pandemonium of people scrambling to escape, Kenneth Caleb saw a lone, limping figure possessed of a strange calm.

PHOTOS: Seal Beach shooting

Caleb was staring out the window of Patty's Place, the Seal Beach restaurant where he went for lunch that day in October. Moments earlier, a terrified employee at the Salon Meritage next door had rushed into the restaurant screaming one phrase over and over:

"Call the police, he's shooting everybody!"

Caleb heard gunshots. Through the glass door, he could see the scene outside the salon. There were "people running everywhere … a bunch of chaos of people running around," he told a grand jury in January.

Amid the commotion, he saw one man with a limp move casually through the parking lot, his shoulders square, his gaze cast downward with "zero expression on his face."

It reminded Caleb of a man strolling in a park. "I am trying to put the picture together," Caleb testified. "I thought he was a derelict and he just didn't understand what was going on, and he was putting himself in harm."

The man turned out to be Scott Dekraai, the 42-year-old former tugboat crewman accused of opening fire in the hair salon, shooting customers and employees alike. He's now charged with eight counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in the massacre. He has pleaded not guilty.

Police say Dekraai was bent on revenge against his 48-year-old ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, when he entered a side door of the crowded Pacific Coast Highway salon just after 1 p.m. last Oct. 12.

The couple had divorced in 2007 and fought bitterly over custody of their 8-year-old son. Gordon Gallego, a hairstylist who thought of his salon coworkers as "my family," said he would see Fournier come to work upset by the toll of the fight.

He also knew the face of the man on the other end of that court battle. He had been to Christmas parties and birthday parties with Dekraai, and a month before had seen him drop off his son at the salon.

So he recognized Dekraai when he walked into the salon that afternoon and headed toward the shampoo bowls, he told the grand jury.

At one of the bowls, Fournier was shampooing the hair of Christy Wilson, 47, a salon employee and mother of three. "I heard him blurt out, 'This is what you wanted,' or 'This is how you wanted it,' and started shooting both girls," Gallego said.

Both Fournier and Wilson were killed. Gallego said he grabbed a coworker, fled to a bathroom in the back of the salon and tried to hide behind a toilet as he heard "constant screaming and gunshots" from the other room.

Gallego said he heard Laura Elody, a 46-year-old stylist and newlywed, banging on the door of the facial room, trying to escape the slaughter. Then he heard her lean against the door of the bathroom where he was hiding.

"You don't have to do this, please don't kill me," he recalled her saying.

Then came the sound of gunshots. "I heard her take her last breath," Gallego said.

After a few minutes, when the gunshots had faded and it seemed safe to come out, Gallego testified that he tried to push the bathroom door open, but Elody's body was blocking it, forcing him to climb onto a sink and over her body.

The salon was covered with the dead or dying, he said.

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Photo: A Seal Beach police officer checks the door at Salon Meritage the morning after the October shooting rampage. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

I-5 pursuit suspect held in deaths of his girlfriend and her sons

Fri, 04 May 2012 06:12:04 -0700

<&&>

A man who led police on a pursuit in Orange County has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his girlfriend and her two young sons.

Shazer Limas, 31, was wanted for questioning after managers at his former apartment complex called to report finding blood in the unit he had just vacated. Limas had lived in the apartment with his girlfriend, Arlet Hernandez, 31, and her two sons, a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old, said Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department.

Police went looking for the family on Thursday and spotted Limas driving near Main Street and Sunflower Avenue, near the border of Santa Ana and Costa Mesa.

Officers tried to pull Limas over, but he fled, leading the CHP on a high-speed chase down the 405 and 5 freeways.

The pursuit ended in a standoff on the I-5 at Camp Pendleton, near the San Onofre nuclear power plant.
The freeway was closed in both directions, backing up traffic for miles. After about 45 minutes, Limas surrendered unarmed.

He was questioned Thursday night about the whereabouts of Hernandez and her two children.

Police announced Friday morning that Hernandez had been arrested on three counts of murder.

The motive for the killings remains unclear.

"We do know that there was some sort of an altercation in that apartment based on the evidence that we located," Adams said.

Police believe the three were killed several days ago at the apartment, and that Limas then dumped the bodies elsewhere, Adams said.

The bodies of Hernandez and her sons have not been located.

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Troubled L.A. Coliseum has lost $7 million since 2009, audit says

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--KTLA

Junior Seau's brain will be studied for signs of concussions

Fri, 04 May 2012 04:54:00 -0700

Junior Seau's family will allow the football star's brain to be studied by doctors to see whether he suffered brain inuuries during his long career.

The decision came after the San Diego County medical examiner concluded that Seau died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

In a news release, the medical examiner's office said it is "awaiting the the family's decision regarding the study of the brain for repetitive injury by researchers outside of the office."

Seau, 43, a star football player at USC and for the San Diego Chargers, was found dead in bed at his Oceanside home about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday by his girlfriend. A gun was found near the body but no note.

San Diego Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell told The Times' Sam Farmer: "The family was considering this almost from the beginning, but they didn't want to make any emotional decisions. And when they came to a joint decision that absolutely this was the best thing, it was a natural occurrence for the Seau family to go forward."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

The issue of brain injuries among football players has been highlighted by the early death of numerous former players. Although Seau was not known publicly for having had concussions, that does not rule out the possibility of brain injuries incurred during his long career, specialists said.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

Researchers at Boston University, leaders in the study of brain injury, have reportedly asked to examine Seau's brain, a decision that is up to the family.

Asked whether he had suffered concussions during his 20-year career, Seau's ex-wife, Gina, told ESPN, "Of course he had. He always bounced back and kept on playing. He's a warrior. That didn't stop him. I don't know what football player hasn't. It's not ballet. It's part of the game."

After Seau's death was announced by police Wednesday, the San Diego Chargers urged fans to pray.

At USC, Athletic Director Pat Haden called Seau "one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55."

"He was one of the greatest Trojans of all time," USC football Coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement.

Former USC football star Reggie Bush, who like Seau went to high school in the San Diego area, said on Twitter: "This one hurts San Diego! One of the greatest to come from the city."

Seau, who graduated from Oceanside High as a multi-sport letterman, is a member of the high school's Hall of Fame. Officials with the Oceanside Unified School District called his death “a huge loss.”

“Today’s passing of former Oceanside High School standout Junior Seau is a huge loss for his family, the Oceanside community and our district,” district officials said in a statement. “Junior personally contributed many positive things to those residing in the North County, most particularly his alma mater, Oceanside High School."

RELATED:

Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Seau's death mourned by Chargers, local high school

Junior Seau sent texts to ex-wife, kids before killing himself

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Ted Dalsey pays his respects with his dog Second Chance at a memorial outside of Junior Seau's beach home in Oceanside. Credit: Sandy Huffaker / Getty Images

Crime alerts for Leimert Park, West Adams and 12 other L.A. neighborhoods

Fri, 04 May 2012 03:52:39 -0700

Crime reports are up significantly in 14 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of the latest week of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

10 neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Leimert Park (A) was the most unusual, recording seven reports compared with a weekly average of 1.5 over the last three months.

West Adams (D) topped the list of five neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 15 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 7.2 over the last three months.

One neighborhood triggered alerts for both violent and property crime.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for April 24–April 30, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Violent crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Leimert Park	1.5	7
Koreatown	9.8	17
Del Rey	0.9	6
West Adams	2.8	9
Valley Glen	2.8	9
Exposition Park	5.5	11
Hollywood Hills	0.8	3
Westlake	16.5	25
Wilmington	4.2	9
Tujunga	0.8	3

Property crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
West Adams	7.2	15
Adams-Normandie	4.4	10
Pacoima	22.9	29
Elysian Park	1.7	7
Pico-Robertson	7.2	12

What triggers a crime alert? Learn about the process in the FAQ for our crime database.

Michelle Monique Russell, 39

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Michelle Monique Russell, a 39-year-old white woman, was stabbed to death Friday, May 4, in the 300 block of East Russell Street in Azusa, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

[Editor's note: An earlier version of this post, based on information from the coroner's office, identified the victim as Jane Doe #32.]

Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office, said Russell was found lying injured on the living room floor about 9:33 a.m. Paramedics pronounced the woman dead at the scene.

During the investigation, officials determined Russell's son stabbed her. He was arrested and taken into custody, Winter said.

Winter had no other details about the case.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

Jose Herrera, 60

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Jose Herrera, a 60-year-old Latino, died Friday, May 4, after suffering trauma in the 4300 block of South Broadway in Historic South-Central, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Los Angeles Police Department Newton homicide Det. D. Gersna, who is handling the case, said Herrera was injured in a fight about 9:24 a.m.

Authorities were called and the victim was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Gersna said the person Herrera was fighting was initially arrested in connection with the death but later released.

No charges have since been filed and will not likely occur, Gersna said.

He declined to provide additional details about the case.

Anyone with information about the death is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at (877) 527-3247. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

Yaxza Herrera, 22

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Yaxza Herrera, a 22-year-old Latina, was shot and killed Friday, May 4, in the 25500 block of Marigold Avenue in Harbor City, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office, said Herrera was found on the street around midnight with a gunshot wound.

Authorities were called and the woman was taken to a hospital in Torrance, where she was pronounced dead at 3:28 a.m.

Winter said a cause of death has been deferred pending additional laboratory deaths. Results will not be available for at least six to eight weeks.

A close friend of Herrera’s contacted the Homicide Report and said the decedent was a cheer coach for Tri-City Falcons. She grew up cheering for Tri-City Youth Football and Cheer and Narbonne High School in Harbor City.

The friend said Herrera "touched so many lives and was loved by her community."

Anyone with information about the death of Yaxza Herrera is asked to contact Los Angeles Police Department Harbor Det. Paglialonga at (310) 726-7900. Tipsters who'd like to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

Man who led police on chase is questioned about missing girlfriend

Thu, 03 May 2012 23:34:50 -0700

A man who led police on a high-speed chase Thursday evening that stopped traffic on the 5 Freeway near the San Onofre nuclear power plant is being questioned in the disappearance of his girlfriend and her two young children.

Shazer Limas, 31, was wanted for questioning after managers in his former apartment complex called to report something suspicious in an apartment he had just vacated.

Limas had lived in the apartment with his girlfriend, Arlet Hernandez, 31, and her two sons, a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old, said Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department.

"He moved out of the apartment several days ago," Adams said. "When management went in the apartment, the management found suspicious things that led them to call us."

KTLA VIDEO: WATCH THE SUSPECT SURRENDER

Adams declined to elaborate on what was suspicious in the unit. He added: "What we found obviously concerned us, and that is why we're actively trying to locate Arlet and the two children. It obviously raises the level of suspicion that Mr. Limas led us on a high-speed pursuit."

Orange police tried to pull over Limas when he was seen driving in a car near Main Street and Sunflower Avenue near the border of Santa Ana and Costa Mesa, but he fled. Driving at high speeds, he led police and the California Highway Patrol down the 405 and 5 freeways.

The CHP set up a strip of tire shredders at the Border Patrol station in northern San Diego County and disabled his vehicle, a dispatcher said. After a short standoff, Limas ultimately surrendered, and television stations captured footage of the suspect, wearing a black suit, lying face down on the freeway.

The standoff and subsequent arrest forced officials to close the 5 Freeway in both directions for about an hour.

Limas was being interviewed by Orange police Thursday night "regarding the suspicious circumstances and if he knows the whereabouts of the mother and the two kids," Adams said. He was also arrested on suspicion of evading police.

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-- Rong-Gong Lin II

Photo: Arlet Hernandez, 31, is missing, as are her two sons. Credit: Handout photo via Orange Police Department

Junior Seau's parents join in singing 'Amazing Grace'

Thu, 03 May 2012 19:01:46 -0700

The parents of Junior Seau made a tearful appearance outside his home Thursday night, thanking the swelling crowd, and all of the San Diego region, for showing such admiration and love for their son.

"Thank you so much," Tiaina Seau told the crowd of several hundred gathered outside his son's beachfront home in Oceanside. "God bless you guys."

Seau's mother, Luisa, sobbing uncontrollably, said, "There's so much pain. It's so hard."

Luisa and Tiaina Seau joined the crowd in singing "Amazing Grace."

Meanwhile, plans for memorials for late next week are shaping up, at a local church and at Oceanside High School, which Junior Seau attended before enrolling at USC.

The San Diego County medical examiner concluded Thursday, after a forensic autopsy, that Seau died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. The medical examiner's office said it is "awaiting the family's decision regarding the study of the brain for repetitive injury by researchers outside of the office."

The issue of brain injuries among football players has been highlighted by the early death of numerous former players. Although Seau was not known publicly for having had concussions, that does not rule out the possibility that brain injuries incurred during his long career, specialists said.

Researchers at Boston University, leaders in the study of brain injury, have reportedly asked to examine Seau's brain, a decision that is up to the family.

San Diego in mourning for a legend

Seau autopsy planned as friends, fans seek answers

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Well-wishers outside the Oceanside home of Junior Seau. Credit: Sandy Huffaker / Getty Images

State attorney general says LAPD impound policy is legal

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:52:59 -0700

California's attorney general says a new impound policy adopted by the Los Angeles Police Department earlier this year is legal.

The attorney general’s opinion issued this week says that a police department can establish guidelines allowing an impounded vehicle to be released in less than 30 days.

“In our view, it is entirely appropriate for various agencies to adapt their policies as they best see fit to serve the particular needs of their communities,” reads the 18-page opinion by Kamala D. Harris and Deputy Atty. Gen. Marc J. Nolan.

Whether local authorities can implement such policies has been a source of controversy over the last several months.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck advocated for reducing the amount of hold time for vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers, arguing that impounding cars for 30 days placed an unfair burden on illegal immigrants who cannot get a driver's license in California. Fees for impounds add up daily and can amount to more than $1,000 over 30 days.

The new policy, which was approved by the Los Angeles Police Commission in February, allows for a reduced impound time for some unlicensed drivers who are stopped on minor traffic infractions but have auto insurance, valid identification and no previous citations for unlicensed driving.

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley and the Legislative Counsel Bureau, which provides legal opinions to state lawmakers, concluded that such policies were illegal under state law. The city attorney’s office concluded the policy was legal.

[Updated, 8:07 p.m.: "The city attorney's office provided legal guidance to the Los Angeles Police Department on their proposed impounding policy. We appreciate the additional guidance by the attorney general's office," Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said through his spokesman, John Franklin.]

The Los Angeles Police Protective League last month filed suit against the city to stop it from implementing the new policy, citing the conflicting legal opinions.

State Sen. Kevin De Leon said he requested the opinion from the attorney general because he felt the district attorney had overstepped his bounds when he wrote an opinion on the legality of local impound policies.

“I thought the D.A. inappropriately injected his own personal opinion in what has long been up to the discretion of local communities,” De Leon said. “I thought we should get a more objective opinion.”

Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said Cooley offered his opinion at the request of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs Assn.

“There’s nothing inappropriate about that,” she said.

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-- Paloma Esquivel

39 arrested in Oakland May Day protests

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:05:38 -0700

Oakland city officials said 39 people were arrested in Tuesday's largely peaceful May Day protests, which were marred by “a small group of people who came to Oakland intent on provoking violent confrontations with the police and vandalizing the city.”

As in previous demonstrations linked to the Occupy movement, most participants focused on a message of addressing economic inequality. In addition to enthusiasts of that movement, labor leaders and immigrant rights organizations also organized pickets and marches in Oakland on Tuesday, bringing the total number of demonstrators to about 5,000, a city spokeswoman said.

But a contingent of protesters wearing masks, carrying shields, and throwing paintballs and bottles also turned out.

“May Day in Oakland has traditionally been dedicated to supporting immigrants’ rights with broad community support for large marches to City Hall,” Mayor Jean Quan said in a statement Wednesday. “Once again, a small group intent on confronting the police and doing damage to public buildings and businesses in our city disrupted yesterday’s largely peaceful events.”

Quan credited the Oakland Police Department, which came under a federal monitor's fire for its previous Occupy response, for “their evolving strategies which balance the rights of peaceful demonstrators with enforcement against violence.”

Chief Howard Jordan last week announced that he would roll out a new approach to crowd control that would utilize small groups of officers to quickly isolate and arrest troublemakers. The department appeared to put that into action Tuesday.

The 39 arrests included 27 on suspicion of "willfully delaying or obstructing law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties," seven on suspicion of “failing to disperse an area declared an unlawful assembly,” and others on suspicion of robbery, battery, violating a restraining order, vandalism, and possession of an incendiary device.

The city relied on about 150 officers from other departments to assist with demonstrations, which began in the morning and continued past 8:30 p.m., when the assembly was declared unlawful after police said part of the crowd began throwing bottles and other objects at officers attempting to make an arrest.

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-- Lee Romney in Oakland

Gang member sentenced for forcing teenage girl into prostitution

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:49:35 -0700

A 28-year-old member of the West Coast Crips gang was sentenced in San Diego on Thursday to 19 years and eight months in federal prison after being convicted of forcing a 15-year-old girl into prostitution through violence.

Jonathan Jamar Sanders, known as "Sincere," posted pictures of the girl on the Internet, along with the price list for various sexual acts. Sanders kept all the proceeds, according to court documents.

He was previously convicted in San Diego in 2006 of forcing an adult woman into prostitution.

U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw said Sanders' conduct is "a form of modern-day slavery" and said sex-trafficking of women "should not be tolerated or accepted."

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-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Perjury, fraud charges refiled against Richard Alarcon and wife

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:30:03 -0700

Moving swiftly after a judge dismissed its case, the district attorney's office refiled 24 perjury and voter-fraud charges late Thursday afternoon against Councilman Richard Alarcon and his wife, Flora Montes De Oca Alarcon.

The new charges make the same allegations as a case thrown out by Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy on Thursday morning, accusing the Alarcons of lying about living in a house in Panorama City so that the councilman could run for his 7th District office.

It was not immediately clear when the Alarcons would be arraigned.

Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley's action came just hours after Kennedy's ruling. The judge threw out a July 2010 indictment of the couple on 24 felony charges after finding the prosecution failed to properly instruct grand jurors of their duty to consider exonerating defense evidence.

Cooley disputed her legal reasoning, saying the judge ignored legal precedents when she dismissed the grand jury indictment.

"The grand jury transcripts clearly show that our prosecutors did indeed present evidence submitted by the councilman and his wife," Cooley said. "The grand jury chose not to consider it, as is their right."

There was no immediate comment from Alarcon.

Thursday's charges mirror the earlier indictment against Richard Alarcon, including two felony counts of filing false candidacy papers in 2006 and 2008, seven counts of voter fraud and nine counts of perjury. Montes de Oca Alarcon is again charged with three counts of perjury and three counts of voter fraud.

The couple have said they were living in the Panorama City house but temporarily moved to another residence in Sun Valley while they did major renovations. A burglary and vandalism by a homeless man in October 2009 delayed their reentry to the Panorama City house, the Alarcons have said.

Prosecutors allege that they lived in the Sun Valley house all along and that Alarcon had tried unsuccessfully to have the 7th District's boundaries redrawn in the summer of 2007 to include the Sun Valley home, owned by his wife.

Thirty-one prosecution witnesses testified at July 2010 grand jury proceedings. The defense submitted documents purporting to show that the Alarcons indeed lived at the Panorama City house. But that packet of information was treated "in a cavalier fashion" by Deputy Dist. Atty. Jennifer Lentz Snyder and was not formally admitted into evidence, Kennedy found.

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-- Catherine Saillant

Photo: Councilman Richard Alarcon Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Junior Seau death: Family to decide on brain study, coroner says

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:09:16 -0700

Junior Seau died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, the San Diego County medical examiner concluded Thursday after a forensic autopsy including a "full examination of [the] decedent's body and organs."

In a news release, the medical examiner's office said it is "awaiting the the family's decision regarding the study of the brain for repetitive injury by researchers outside of the office."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

The medical examiner did not set a specific time for the death.

Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Craig Nelson did the autopsy, including the examination of the body and organs and collection of "appropriate specimens for laboratory studies including toxicology and microscopic examination of organs and tissues."

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

Researchers at Boston University, leaders in the study of brain injury, have reportedly asked to examine Seau's brain, a decision that is up to the family.

After Seau's death was announced by police Wednesday, the San Diego Chargers urged fans to pray.

At USC, Athletic Director Pat Haden called Seau "one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55."

"He was one of the greatest Trojans of all time," USC football Coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement.

Former USC football star Reggie Bush, who like Seau went to high school in the San Diego area, said on Twitter: "This one hurts San Diego! One of the greatest to come from the city."

RELATED:

Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Seau's death mourned by Chargers, local high school

Junior Seau sent texts to ex-wife, kids before killing himself

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Ted Dalsey pays his respects with his dog Second Chance at a memorial outside of Junior Seau's beach home in Oceanside. Credit: Sandy Huffaker / Getty Images

Junior Seau death: Family to decide on brain study, coroner says

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:09:16 -0700

In a news release, the medical examiner's office said that it is "awaiting the the family's decision regarding the study of the brain for repetitive injury by researchers outside of the office."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

The medical examiner did not set a specific time for the death.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

Researchers at Boston University, a leader in the study of brain injury, have asked to examine Seau's brain, a decision that is up to the family.

Asked about whether he had suffered concussions, Seau's ex-wife, Gina, told ESPN, "Of course he had. He always bounced back and kept on playing. He's a warrior. That didn't stop him. I don't know what football player hasn't. It's not ballet. It's part of the game."

After Seau's death was announced by police Wednesday, the San Diego Chargers urged fans to pray.

At USC, Athletic Director Pat Haden called Seau "one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55."

"He was one of the greatest Trojans of all time," USC football Coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement.

Former USC football star Reggie Bush, who like Seau went to high school in the San Diego area, said on Twitter: "This one hurts San Diego! One of the greatest to come from the city."

RELATED:

Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Seau's death mourned by Chargers, local high school

Junior Seau sent texts to ex-wife, kids before killing himself

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Ted Dalsey pays his respects with his dog Second Chance at a memorial outside of Junior Seau's beach home in Oceanside, California. Credit: Sandy Huffaker / Getty Images

Santa Barbara is latest county to face federal pot crackdown

Thu, 03 May 2012 15:25:31 -0700

The widening federal crackdown on California’s medical marijuana industry reached Santa Barbara this week, with prosecutors filing forfeiture suits, executing search warrants, and sending warning letters related to more than a dozen growers and dispensaries.

Three civil forfeiture complaints were filed Wednesday targeting three collectives and farms in Santa Barbara County, including Miramar Collective in Summerland, which authorities estimate generated a profit of $840,000 in 2009. Two of the collectives are owned or operated by people who are being prosecuted for state narcotics charges, according to the release.

Warning letters were sent to people affiliated with 10 other dispensaries -– six in Santa Barbara, three in Goleta, and one in Summerland, authorities said.

The actions are the latest in a series of moves across the state by California’s four U.S. attorneys to clamp down on marijuana, including last month’s raid on high-profile activist Richard Lee in Oakland.

As part of the stepped up enforcement since October, federal prosecutors have taken similar measures in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. More than 150 marijuana stores and grows have been targeted, the majority of which are closed down or are being evicted by landlords, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles.

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-- Victoria Kim

Photo: Various strains of medical marijuana sit on a shelf inside a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles in 2009. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

'Please don't kill me,' Seal Beach massacre victim screamed

Thu, 03 May 2012 14:24:10 -0700

A survivor of the Seal Beach salon shootings testified that he locked himself in a bathroom to escape the mayhem and then heard a co-worker beg for her life.

“You don’t have to do this, please don’t kill me,” Laura Elody called out, according to witness Gordon Gallego, a hairstylist.

Then, Gallego said, he heard a gunshot, perhaps two.

“I heard her take her last breath,” Gallego said.

Testimony before an Orange County grand jury, which ultimately indicted former tugboat crewman Scott Dekraai in the October shooting that left eight dead and one seriously wounded, was unsealed Thursday.

Gallego, who said Elody had pounded on the door before allegedly being confronted by Dekraai, said he had to step over his co-worker’s body when he escaped from the bathroom.

The hairstylist told grand jurors that another co-worker, Michelle Fast, was on the ground, “shaking and convulsing,” apparently fighting for life.

Gallego said he recalled the co-owner of the shop, Sandy Fannin, rushing out of the salon’s color room screaming. Her husband, Randy Fannin, had been shot and was near his workstation, lying on his back, the witness said.

“She was screaming to wake Randy up, to get him up,” Gallego said.

Randy Fannin, Elody and Fast were among those who died in the shooting, the worst mass killing in Orange County history. Dekraai’s ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, also was among those killed.

Gallego testified that Fournier, and a customer whose hair she was washing, were the first ones shot.

“I heard him blurt out, ‘This is what you wanted,’ or ‘This is how you wanted it,’ and started shooting both girls,” Gallego said.

Gallego estimated that Dekraai fired at least 30 shots.

Dekraai has pleaded not guilty.

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Photo: Days after the shooting at Salon Meritage in Seal Beach, mourners continued to drop off flowers. Credit: Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times

Assessor's value for Hollywood landmark fell well below sale price [Updated]

Thu, 03 May 2012 14:16:55 -0700

Updated at 5:45 p.m.

Serious problems roiling the Los Angeles County assessor’s office have reached a former Hollywood landmark: the Old Spaghetti Factory on Sunset Boulevard.

Last summer, Ramin Salari, a property tax consultant and campaign fundraiser for county Assessor John Noguez, lobbied to reduce the shuttered restaurant’s tax bill because, he said, the land it sat on wasn’t worth the $14 million his clients had paid for it.

He convinced Noguez’s staff to assess the shuttered eatery, and three smaller parcels nearby, for $7.2 million.

A month after Salari won the last of several six-figure tax refunds based on the lower value, the property owners sold the lots for $21 million, nearly three times the value set by Noguez’s staff, according to records reviewed by The Times.

As news of the refund and subsequent sale spread among rank-and-file county appraisers, some in the office saw it as confirmation of a growing suspicion that Noguez and his top aides were ignoring their duty to assess fair market values.

Instead, the appraisers feared, Noguez was inappropriately lowering values to give tax breaks to Salari and other campaign contributors.

“What other reason would they have to do grievous things like this, if it wasn’t payback for the [campaign] money,” asked recently retired appraiser Jim Jochimsen, who said he was removed from the Spaghetti Factory case in early 2011 after opposing Salari’s proposed reduction.

The reduction was “ridiculous” because it was clear the property was increasing in value, Jochimsen said. The developers who owned it had won permission from zoning authorities to build even bigger. They’re now approved for a 22-story tower with retail space and more than 300 condos, according to published reports.

Salari refused to discuss the Spaghetti Factory case when questioned by a Times reporter Wednesday.
Assessor’s office spokesman Louis Reyes said Thursday he was still researching the case, but it’s possible the property’s value may have dipped at some point because of uncertainty over the planned development’s future.

The property also transferred ownership in 2010, between two entities owned by the same company.
In a series of appeals finalized in July 2011, Salari successfully lobbied for a $7.6-million value for the shuttered restaurant in the 2008 tax year and a $6.3-million value for 2009, county records show. After the internal transfer within the company, the property was assessed at and $4.8 million for 2010, Reyes said. Those changes saved then-owners Sunset & Gordon Investors $231,872 in property taxes, records show.

As part of a wide-ranging corruption probe prompted by complaints from assessor’s office employees, investigators from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office executed a search warrant last week at Salari’s Phoenix home. They also searched Noguez’s Huntington Park home and assessor’s offices across Los Angeles county.

County records show Salari and his immediate family members contributed at least $10,000 to Noguez’s successful 2010 campaign for county assessor — a position that makes him responsible for setting the taxable values of every property in Los Angeles County, the nation’s largest tax roll.

Salari acknowledged in a recent deposition that he also solicited contributions from all of his clients. Some of those clients have told The Times that Salari suggested his ability to win large tax refunds for them was a product of his close relationship with Noguez.

Jochimsen said that while he was still assigned to the Spaghetti Factory case, Salari told him he should stop resisting the proposed reduction because his new boss wouldn’t approve. “C’mon Jim, you know this isn’t what John wants,” Jochimsen said Salari told him.

When Jochimsen still refused, he said Mark McNeil, a colleague who had campaigned for Noguez and had been promoted after the election, took over the case and granted the reduction. McNeil, whose office was also searched by investigators last week, declined to comment for this story.

But in an interview last week, conducted outside his Culver City office as police were inside seizing his computer, cellphone and files, McNeil said he had done nothing wrong. But he acknowledged that Noguez “might have” asked him to keep an eye on appeals from some prominent donors.“Not for any improper purpose,” McNeil added.

Reyes, the assessor’s spokesman, said neither McNeil’s nor Jochimsen’s names appeared in his preliminary review of the case documents, which are not public. He would not say who signed the documents approving the refunds. McNeil was in a supervisory role, deciding who handled the case, so his name would not typically appear on the form. Jochimsen said his name wouldn’t be there because he got pushed aside.

McNeil was promoted shortly after Noguez’s election and began systematically taking over appeals for tax reductions brought by “well-positioned tax agents” and “politically influential” campaign contributors like Salari, Jochimsen said.

McNeil would sit in the cafeteria in the basement of the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration with the agents and come up with values for properties that “had no relationship to the facts,” Jochimsen said.

Investigators are also looking at a former county appraiser from the Culver City office who has admitted secretly and improperly slashing tens of millions of dollars from the assessed values of 151 high-end properties in Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades and other Westside communities.

The former appraiser, Scott Schenter, told The Times he broke the rules in the hope that the wealthy owners would show their appreciation for the lower tax bills by contributing to Noguez.
Schenter said he was under “brutal” pressure from Noguez, and McNeil, to raise money for the race.

Through a spokesman, Noguez has admitted he asked Schenter to “check the status” of the properties that eventually got improper reductions, but denies asking Schenter to lower their values. Noguez has also admitted asking Schenter to raise money for his campaign, but said Schenter was just “one of thousands” of people he hit up for contributions.

McNeil has denied asking Schenter to solicit contributions.

[Updated: The report has been updated to reflect new information provided Thursday afternoon by the assessor's office.]

County seeks reasons for $50-million drop in tax estimate

L.A. supervisors grill assessor over change in property tax forecast

-- Jack Dolan, Ruben Vives and Doug Smith

Photo: The 1924 building at 5939 W. Sunset Blvd. was last used as the Old Spaghetti Factory. Credit: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times

UCSD student's 5-day ordeal in DEA jail sparks outrage, anger

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:45:45 -0700

Elected officials are demanding answers after Daniel Chong, a 23-year-old UC San Diego student, was left unattended for five days in a Drug Enforcement Administration detention cell.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) called on U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. asking for an "immediate and thorough" Department of Justice investigation into the matter.

"After the investigation is completed, I ask that you please provide me with the results and the actions the department will take to make sure those responsible are held accountable and that no one in DEA custody will ever again be forced to endure such treatment," she wrote.

The DEA apologized Wednesday to Chong, who was accidentally left unattended in a holding cell for five days and reportedly drank his own urine to survive.

San Diego attorney Gene Iredale said his client was "still recovering" from the ordeal. The attorney submitted the initial paperwork needed for a lawsuit Wednesday. The claim seeks $20 million in compensation for the incident.

"He is glad to be alive," Iredale said of Chong. "He wants to make sure that what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else."

News of the incident came to light when Chong told a San Diego television station he spent nearly a week in the cell without food, water or access to a toilet after an April 21 raid on a house in San Diego.

The DEA, which identified Chong only as "the individual in question," said he and eight others were swept up during a raid of a suspected Ecstasy distribution operation, where agents found guns, ammunition, 18,000 Ecstasy pills and other drugs.

The nine suspects were taken to a DEA area headquarters, where they were fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed, the agency said. After processing, seven were taken to a county detention facility and one was released.

Chong, the agency said, was "accidentally left in one of the cells." He told NBC San Diego he kicked the door "many, many times" in a futile attempt to get agents' attention.

When they finally found Chong, he was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he stayed for five days. Iredale said Chong, who was close to kidney failure and had trouble breathing, spent three of those days in the intensive care unit.

Chong also suffered hallucinations and "thought he was going insane," Iredale said. Chong told NBC San Diego he tried to kill himself by breaking his glasses and cutting his wrists.

"I didn't care if I died," he told the station. "I was completely insane."

William R. Sherman, acting special agent in charge of the DEA's San Diego Division, apologized in a statement Wednesday and said he had ordered "an extensive review" of DEA policies and procedures.

"I am deeply troubled by the incident that occurred here last week," Sherman said. "I extend my deepest apologies [to] the young man and want to express that this event is not indicative of the high standards that I hold my employees to."

The DEA said Chong told agents he had been at the house that was raided "to get high with his friends" and later admitted that he used a white powdery substance found in his cell that tested positive for methamphetamine.

Iredale confirmed Chong had stayed with friends the night of April 20 to "celebrate" the day heralded by many marijuana aficionados "in the typical way -- by smoking some pot."

But the attorney said the meth found in the cell was not his client's and was there before his arrival.

"The DEA's protocol was so sloppy that somebody who was a previous prisoner secreted a small amount of meth in a plastic bag inside a blanket," Iredale said.

The San Diego Union Tribune reported that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) wants a congressional investigation.

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Slain ICE agent's 14-year-old son arrested on suspicion of murder

-- Kate Mather

Photo: Daniel Chong. Credit: K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune

Witness: accused Seal Beach killer calm, casual before opening fire

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:24:32 -0700

The man accused of fatally shooting eight people at a Seal Beach shopping last October was disturbing calm and casual as he shot one person after another – customers and employees alike, a witness told an Orange County grand jury.

A partial transcript of the grand jury hearing, which resulted in the indictment of former tugboat crewman Scott Dekraai, were unsealed Thursday, offering a glimpse into Orange County’s worst mass killing.

“He had zero expression on his face,” said Kenneth Caleb, who was having lunch with co-workers at Patty’s Place, a restaurant next door to Salon Meritage, where the mid-day shooting took place.

“His head was slightly tilted down, as if he was looking at the ground,” the witness said.

Caleb described Dekraai’s gait as a “casual, calm stroll, as if you were just enjoying the park.”

Dekraai, 42, allegedly walked into the salon and shot eight people, including his ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, and then walked into the parking lot where he shot a man sitting in his Ranger Rover, authorities say. Only one person survived.

Caleb told grand jurors that before he spotted Dekraai, a woman wearing a smock ran into the restaurant, screaming for someone to call the police because “he is shooting everyone.”

From the window of the restaurant Caleb said he saw a “mirage of people running everywhere.” He said the scene was surreal.

"My eyes, for whatever reason, kind of gravitated to this gentleman, because, as I stated, I was a little concerned that he just really didn't understand what was going on. And you could hear, you heard the shots, you seen the chaos, and then this one out of place element just kind of slowly walking across the parking lot," he said, describing the accused shooter.

The testimony, taken in January, also provides a gruesome portrait of the scene inside the salon, where Dekraai's ex-wife was the first to be shot.

According to Gordon Gallego, a hairstylist at the salon, Dekraai walked in to the salon and headed straight to the station where his ex-wife was shampooing a client’s hair.

Before shooting both women at point blank range, Gallego said, Dekraai uttered “This is what you wanted,” or “This is how you wanted it.”

Gallego, said he ran and hid in a bathroom until the shooting was over.

The transcripts were partially unsealed after a court hearing last month, with some material blacked out.

About 30 pages of information, including exhibits presented by the prosecution and information about mental health, remain sealed.

Dekraai, of Huntington Beach, has pleaded not guilty to eight charges of murder and one count of attempted murder in the Oct. 12 rampage.

--Nicole Santa Cruz and Christopher Goffard

Photo: Scott Dekraai in court with attorney. Credit: Associated Press

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Junior Seau death: San Diego in mourning for legend

No sign of trouble between slain ICE agent and son, friend says

Councilman Alarcon 'very pleased' perjury, fraud case was tossed

Accused Seal Beach killer calm during shooting, witness testifies

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:32:53 -0700

The man accused of fatally shooting eight people at a Seal Beach beauty salon last October was disturbingly calm and casual as he shot one person after another –- customers and employees alike, a witness told an Orange County grand jury.

A partial transcript of the grand jury hearing, which resulted in the indictment of former tugboat crewman Scott Dekraai, was unsealed Thursday, offering a glimpse into Orange County’s worst mass killing.

“He had zero expression on his face,” said Kenneth Caleb, who was having lunch with coworkers at Patty’s Place, a restaurant next door to Salon Meritage, where the midday shooting took place.

“His head was slightly tilted down, as if he was looking at the ground,” the witness said.

Caleb described Dekraai’s gait as a “casual, calm stroll, as if you were just enjoying the park.”

Authorities say Dekraai, 42, walked into the salon and shot eight people, including his ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, and then walked into the parking lot, where he shot a man sitting in his Ranger Rover. Only one person survived.

Caleb told grand jurors that before he spotted Dekraai, a woman wearing a smock ran into the restaurant screaming for someone to call the police because “he is shooting everyone.”

From the window of the restaurant, Caleb said he saw a “mirage of people running everywhere.” He said the scene was surreal.

"My eyes, for whatever reason, kind of gravitated to this gentleman, because, as I stated, I was a little concerned that he just really didn't understand what was going on. And you could hear, you heard the shots, you saw the chaos, and then this one out-of-place element just kind of slowly walking across the parking lot," he said, describing the accused shooter.

The testimony, taken in January, also provides a gruesome portrait of the scene inside the salon, where Dekraai's ex-wife was the first to be shot.

According to Gordon Gallego, a hairstylist at the salon, Dekraai walked into the salon and headed straight to the station where his ex-wife was shampooing a client’s hair.

Before shooting both women at point blank range, Gallego said, Dekraai uttered, “This is what you wanted” or “This is how you wanted it.”

Gallego said he ran and hid in a bathroom until the shooting was over.

The transcripts were partially unsealed after a court hearing last month, with some material blacked out.

About 30 pages of information, including exhibits presented by the prosecution and information about mental health, remained sealed.

Dekraai, of Huntington Beach, has pleaded not guilty to eight charges of murder and one count of attempted murder in the Oct. 12 rampage.

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Junior Seau death: San Diego in mourning for legend

No sign of trouble between slain ICE agent and son, friend says

Councilman Alarcon 'very pleased' perjury, fraud case was tossed

--Nicole Santa Cruz and Christopher Goffard

Photo: Scott Dekraai in court with his attorney. Credit: Associated Press

Bomb threat at Loma Linda hospital a hoax, police say

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:18:56 -0700

Loma Linda University Medical Center has been reopened after authorities determined that a man who walked into the emergency room claiming he had a bomb strapped to his body was harmless.

The device was not an explosive, authorities said Thursday.

Deputies and bomb investigators from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department sounded the all-clear about 11:30 a.m. after X-raying the man in a concrete area of a parking structure, sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said.

The unidentified man in his 50s initially made the threat about 9:15 a.m. He was removed on a gurney from the entrance of the emergency room before he was moved to the safe area. He was being questioned in connection with the incident and there was no immediate word on his arrest.

Bachman said the lobby had been partially evacuated and traffic shut down inside and outside of the emergency room, although the front entrance of the hospital had remained open.

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Junior Seau death: San Diego in mourning for legend

No sign of trouble between slain ICE agent and son, friend says

Councilman Alarcon 'very pleased' perjury, fraud case was tossed

-- Andrew Blankstein

twitter.com/anblanx

Photo: Loma Linda University Medical Center. Credit: Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times

Slain ICE agent identified as Navy veteran, Torrance native

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:07:23 -0700

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials identified the agent shot to death Wednesday night as Myron W. Chisem, a veteran of the U.S. Navy who was working as a special agent in the Los Angeles office since 2007.

His 14-year-old son has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Chisem, identified by authorities as a native of Torrance, was killed by a single shot fired into his house in the 19300 block of Broadacres Avenue in Carson shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday, investigators said.

According to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Holly Francisco, Chisem's son, who has not been identified, fired one shot from the backyard with his father's ICE-issued handgun.

Chisem, 42, was in a TV room on the first floor when he was shot in the head, Francisco said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The agent's girlfriend also lived at the house but was not there at the time of the shooting, authorities said.

A motive for the shooting had not been determined, but Francisco called it a "domestic violence incident."

Shawn Butler, 41, described himself as a best friend of Chisem, whom he met in the Navy in 1991 and served with in ICE. Butler, who is no longer an agent, said Chisem has two older daughters in addition to the teenage son who was arrested. He said there "was never any indication" of trouble between Chisem and his son.

Butler said the boy had moved in with his father less than a year ago and that the daughters live elsewhere. The teenager was not big on sports, he said, but enjoyed playing video games.

"They had a great relationship as a father and son," Butler said. "He was very proud of his son. He loved him very much. ... All the time I had been around them I had never seen any kind of issues of tension between them."

Butler said the shooting was tragic for both father and son.

"He's 14 years old and he's got to deal with this for the rest of his life," he said.

Earlier in the morning, as a coroner's van arrived about 7:30 a.m., a dozen or so agents wearing blue ICE windbreakers gathered outside of the home. One sat on a ledge with his head in his hands, while others talked quietly amongst themselves.

All stood in a line, shoulder to shoulder, as the body was wheeled out on a gurney. Moments later, the agents returned to their cars, turned on their emergency lights and, in a sort of impromptu procession, escorted the van carrying the body to the coroner's office.

Stephanie Love, a neighbor who lives three doors down from Chisem's home, said he moved into the neighborhood about a year ago but that she did not know him. Many others have lived on the street for 20 years or more, she said.

"I grew up in this neighborhood," said Love, 32. "We don't have things like this happen. This is a shock to everybody because this is the type of neighborhood everyone wants to move into."

Ronni Johnson, 45, said her two children attend Broadacres Elementary School, half a block from where the shooting occurred. Classes were in session Thursday, she said.

Pastor David Buggs of Central Baptist Church in Carson led a prayer with ICE agents outside of the house. Afterward, he described them as "just very sad."

"They were not even talking to each other," he said.

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Student left in cell for 5 days wants $20 million from DEA

Councilman Alarcon 'very pleased' perjury, fraud case was tossed

-- Matt Stevens in Carson and Kim Christensen in Los Angeles

Photo: ICE agents salute as the body of fellow agent Myron W. Chisem is removed by officials. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Junior Seau death: San Diego in mourning for legend

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:56:56 -0700

San Diego was in mourning Thursday, a day after football star Junior Seau was found dead by what police say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

Over the last day, fans have made a pilgrimage to Seau's Oceanside beachfront home to pay their respects and at times to speak to family members.

Junior Seau's father, Tiaina, arrived at the home Thursday morning. He briefly talked to reporters and was embraced by fans.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

Fighting back tears, Tiaina Seau Sr. thanked those who stopped by but said he didn't have anything to say about his son's death at that time.

The death prompted an outpouring of tributes from friends and family.

"Junior was my friend. We all lost a friend today," Chargers President Dean Spanos said in a statement Wednesday. "Junior was an icon in our community. He transcended the game. He wasn't just a football player, he was so much more.... This is just such a tragic loss. One of the worst things I could ever imagine."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

"I can tell you no one had more character and true leadership ability than Junior," Chargers Coach Norv Turner added. "He brought passion to the game of football that was unmatched. His commitment to charitable causes in the community was inspiring. It was an honor to know him."

Hundreds of flower bouquets, notes of condolence and other tributes were being left outside the home as well as at his restaurant in Mission Valley, which has reopened.

An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Thursday.

Though few details were available, police confirmed no foul play was suspected and that Seau's girlfriend discovered his body in bed Wednesday morning when she returned from the gym.

Some observers saw similarities between the deaths of Seau and former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest last year. In a suicide note, Duerson had asked his family to donate his brain to the Boston University School of Medicine.

Researchers from that school later determined that Duerson suffered from a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions, and that the condition played a role in triggering his depression.

Neighbor Brian Ballis, 50, of Oceanside said he would often see Seau, 43, on the balcony, or in the ocean paddle boarding or surfing. Two days ago, Ballis saw him playing the ukulele on his balcony.

“He was smiling and happy,” Ballis said, "and looking at the sky and looking at the waves."

Seau was a familiar presence in the Oceanside neighborhood and could be seen running along the oceanfront street with his dog.

Kevin Hardyway, 43, of Oceanside, a construction worker, had known Seau since middle school. They met in the seventh grade and played football and basketball together at Jefferson Middle School and Oceanside High School.

He said he was first drawn to Seau, whom he referred to affectionately as Junebug, because they shared a competitive spirit.

"He was a good guy always trying to win," Hardyway said.

Over the years, Hardyway and Seau became more distant, but whenever Seau was in town, they would try to catch up and talk about their children and sports.

“Junior’s always been in good spirits," he said. "If something is bothering him, you won't know."

Seau's life was not without complications, though. In 2010, a sport utility vehicle he was driving went over a beachside cliff and crashed. The accident occurred after he was arrested in Oceanside on suspicion of domestic violence.

After Seau's death was announced by police Wednesday, the San Diego Chargers urged fans to pray.

At USC, Athletic Director Pat Haden called Seau "one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55."

"He was one of the greatest Trojans of all time," USC football Coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement.

Former USC football star Reggie Bush, who like Seau went to high school in the San Diego area, said on Twitter: "This one hurts San Diego! One of the greatest to come from the city."

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Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Seau's death mourned by Chargers, local high school

Junior Seau sent texts to ex-wife, kids before killing himself

-- Tony Perry and Nicole Santa Cruz in Oceanside

Photo: Francis Sanchez says a prayer at a memorial of flowers and messages at Junior Seau's Oceanside home. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Councilman Alarcon 'very pleased' perjury, fraud case was tossed

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:17:20 -0700

Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon said he is happy that the perjury and voter fraud case against him and his wife was dismissed Thursday morning.

Prosecutors alleged the Alarcons lied about where they were living so that the veteran San Fernando Valley politician could run for the council seat representing the 7th District.

"My wife and I are obviously very pleased with the judge's ruling," he said in a statement. "We have maintained our innocence throughout this process and have always believed that when all of the evidence is considered, we would be found innocent."

Alarcon's office said the councilman would not have further comment Thursday.

In dismissing the case, Judge Kathleen Kennedy said the prosecution had failed to present evidence that would have undercut its case to a grand jury in 2010. In grand jury cases, it is the duty of the prosecution to show not only its evidence but also that of the defense.

L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley said prosecutors would be looking at what their next step would be.

"Judge Kathleen Kennedy's decision today to dismiss the Alarcon case is inexplicable," he said in a statement. "We will vigorously prosecute this case. We are evaluating our options to proceed.”

Indeed, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jennifer Lentz Snyder said prosecutors may appeal.

"The case is not over in our mind by any stretch," she said.

At a hearing in March, Kennedy had accused Lentz Snyder of being "very dismissive" of defense evidence submitted to the grand jury. Those jurors returned a 24-count felony indictment against the Alarcons, who pleaded not guilty.

The councilman's attorney, Fred Woocher, said it's unclear what effect the dismissal will have on damage done to the politician's reputation as a result of the indictments.

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--Catherine Saillant

Photo: Councilman Richard Alarcon. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Junior Seau death: Autopsy planned as fans, friends seek answers

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:12:20 -0700

An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Thursday on the body of former football star Junior Seau, who was found dead Wednesday in his Oceanside home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot to his chest.

Though few details were available, police confirmed no foul play was suspected and that Seau's girlfriend discovered his body in bed Wednesday morning when she returned from the gym.

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

Researchers from that school later determined that Duerson suffered from a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions, and that the condition played a role in triggering his depression.

The death prompted an outpouring of tributes from friends and family.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

Later in the day, as police walked in and out of Seau's beachfront home, his family members could be seen huddling in the garage, weeping. Earlier, his mother appeared distraught.

"I don't understand, I don't understand," Luisa Seau cried as she spoke to reporters and others gathered outside the home.

She said she was in church when she heard her son was dead. "I pray to God, 'Take me, take me, leave my son.' But it's too late."

Neighbor Brian Ballis, 50, of Oceanside said he would often see Seau, 43, on the balcony, or in the ocean paddle boarding or surfing. Two days ago, Ballis saw him playing the ukulele on his balcony, describing the tune as "Hawaiian-style music."

“He was smiling and happy,” Ballis said, "and looking at the sky and looking at the waves."

Seau was a familiar presence in the Oceanside neighborhood and could be seen running along the oceanfront street with his dog.

Kevin Hardyway, 43, of Oceanside, a construction worker, has known Seau since middle school. They met in the seventh grade and played football and basketball together at Jefferson Middle School and Oceanside High School.

He said he was originally drawn to Seau, whom he referred to affectionately as Junebug, because they shared a competitive spirit.

"He was a good guy always trying to win," Hardyway said.

Over the years, Hardyway and Seau became more distant, but whenever Seau was in town, they would try to catch up and talk about their children and sports.

“Junior’s always been in good spirits," he said. "If something is bothering him, you won't know."

Seau's life was not without complications, though. In 2010, a sport-utility vehicle he was driving went over a beachside cliff and crashed. The accident occurred after he was arrested in Oceanside on suspicion of domestic violence.

After Seau's death was announced by police Wednesday, the San Diego Chargers urged fans to pray.

At USC, Seau's alma mater, Athletic Director Pat Haden called Seau "one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55."

"He was one of the greatest Trojans of all time," USC football Coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement.

Former USC football star Reggie Bush, who like Seau went to high school in the San Diego area, said on Twitter: "Damn this one hurts San Diego! One of the greatest to come from the city."

RELATED:

Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Junior Seau's death mourned by Chargers, local high school

Seau's friend: 'If something's bothering him, you won't know'

-- Tony Perry and Nicole Santa Cruz in Oceanside

Photo: Tiaina Seau Sr. cries as he stands at a memorial of flowers and messages for his son, Junior Seau, who apparently took his own life Wednesday at his Oceanside home. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

LAPD identifies suspect in May Day snare drum attack on officer

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:19:12 -0700

Los Angeles police said Thursday that they had arrested a 23-year-old transient in the "blindside" snare drum attack that injured a female officer during May Day protests.

Brian Mendoza, 23, was booked Wednesday by Los Angeles Police Department robbery-homicide detectives on suspicion of felony assault on a peace officer after an unidentified protester contacted investigators, according to police sources familiar with the arrest. He is known to frequent the downtown skid row area

Mendoza is nearly 6 feet tall and weighs 280 pounds, according to the sources. The female officer, who suffered a partial concussion, is about 5'1" and weighs 115 pounds, police officials said. The impact of the blow jerked her head forward and dented her helmet, officials said.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

Authorities said Mendoza is on probation for a previous attack on a peace officer in El Monte.

The incident was captured on video and uploaded to YouTube under the title "Cheap Shot on Cop." In it, a man dressed in a black T-shirt and black hoodie is seen approaching the helmeted female officer, circling around behind her and striking her on the back of the head with the item before running off.

Police Chief Charlie Beck described the incident as a "blindside" attack on the officer, who was hospitalized as a precaution but was not seriously injured.

Police are continuing to search for several masked suspects who attacked officers with a large wooden pallet in a separate incident.

The downtown incident unfolded when officers issued a call for help at 4th and Hill streets at about 4:20 p.m. Tuesday when demonstrators, many from the Occupy movement, began circling officers and chanting, "We are the 99%." The crowd swelled as officers arrived by bicycle, motorcycle and on foot to quell the brewing confrontation.

At least 14 arrests were reported Tuesday, including three in North Hollywood, one downtown involving a false bomb threat against a bank, and 10 predesignated detentions at Los Angeles International Airport.

The incidents marred what were otherwise peaceful protests, which were largely nonviolent.

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Slain ICE agent's 14-year-old son arrested on suspicion of murder

-- Andrew Blankstein (Twitter.com/anblanx)

Other riot-related unsolved cases

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Here are some of the other 23 victims of unsolved homicides related to the L.A. riots. Click for an interactive map of the riots deaths to learn more about all of the incidents:

Howard Epstein, 45, was shot and killed April 30, 1992, near Slauson and 7th avenues in Hyde Park. Epstein, who had flown from his Northern California home to check on his South Los Angeles metal manufacturing business, was struck in the head by a bullet apparently fired from a pickup truck that had pulled alongside his car. His car careened into a liquor store parking lot, where a crowd quickly gathered. Onlookers broke into applause when someone yelled that the dead driver was white, witnesses said, and Epstein's cellphone, camera, briefcase and pistol were stolen. Hostility was so intense after the shooting of Epstein that detectives towed away his Thunderbird while his body was still behind the wheel — an unusual move.

Eduardo C. Vela, 33, was shot and killed April 29, 1992, in the 5100 block of Slauson Avenue in Ladera Heights. A Mexican immigrant who ran a Japanese restaurant in Bakersfield, Vela was visiting Los Angeles on the day the riots broke out. He was killed as he waited behind the steering wheel of his disabled car while a co-worker, Estevan Ortigoza, went to make a telephone call. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Dave Coleman said the only real evidence detectives had was the bullet found in his body.

Thanh Lam, 25, was shot and killed April 30, 1992, in Compton. Lam was leaving his family's market, which had been looted and burned the night before. The traffic signal at Willowbrook Avenue and Alondra Boulevard had turned yellow, and Lam slowed to a stop. A car bumped him from the rear and pulled up in the next lane. At least two gunmen leaned out with handguns and began firing. One bullet shattered the truck's window; a volley of shots ripped into the cab. Four bullets hit Lam, and within minutes he was dead. Family members later complained that the Compton Police Department did a poor job investigating the case.

Former Chargers linebacker Junior Seau dies in apparent suicide

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Through her tears, Luisa Seau said that there had been no warning of this. How could her son, Junior, who had so much promise in his life and during a glittery football career, want to kill himself? "I don't understand," she wailed.

But Seau, 43, a star linebacker at USC and for his hometown San Diego Chargers, apparently ended his life Wednesday with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Oceanside home.

Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy said Seau's girlfriend went to the beachfront home about 9:30 a.m. and found him dead in a bedroom. Police and paramedics tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.

McCoy said Seau died of a gunshot wound to the chest. A handgun was found near the body. The case is being investigated as a suicide, although police found no suicide note. A crowd of media and onlookers gathered outside the home Wednesday morning.

Seau's ex-wife, Gina, said that on Tuesday he sent her and each of their three children — daughter Sydney and sons Jake and Hunter — a text message, ending with "I love you."

Seau, an All-Pro linebacker who spent most of his 20-year NFL career with the Chargers, retired in 2006 and then "unretired" several days later, saying he was not ready to leave a game that he loved. He retired for good after the 2009 season.

On Wednesday, some saw similarities between the deaths of Seau and former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest last year. In a suicide note, Duerson had asked his family to donate his brain to the Boston University School of Medicine.

Researchers from that school later determined that Duerson suffered from a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions, and that played a role in triggering his depression. The San Diego County medical examiner said an autopsy for Seau is set for Thursday.

Seau will be remembered as one of the greatest players in NFL history at any position, a 6-foot-3, 248-pound wrecking ball who made the Pro Bowl 12 years in a row and was voted All-Pro 10 times. He often veered from the script on the field, and that only made him more effective.

Christian Fauria, a longtime NFL tight end, said opposing offenses frequently could not rely on scouting reports when it came to lining up against Seau.

"Most of the time he would just kind of go where he thought the ball was going," Fauria said. "He would disregard every bit of coverage rules and gap assignments. He would just go to where he thought the play was going, based on what he looked at, what he saw."

That was the case at Oceanside High, where Seau dominated in football, basketball and track, and at USC, where his No. 55 jersey became synonymous with the gold standard of linebackers.

He had humble beginnings with the Trojans, however, having entered the school ineligible for his freshman season because of low test scores coming out of high school.

He later said he initially felt like an outsider at the school and harnessed that as motivation.

"It was terrible," he told The Times in 1991. "I used to walk the campus and not be part of the inner circle. I had no friends. The guys would be mingling on the steps, and that would be the inner circle and they didn't accept me. They were USC. They were the players, and they were looking at a guy who didn't pass his SATs."

After an ankle injury limited his contributions as a sophomore, Seau broke through as a junior and became a unanimous first-team All-American. He made the then-rare decision to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

"It was a money decision," he later explained. "I had the security of my mom and dad in my hands. I don't know how my dad made it, paying the bills while we were growing up, but I owe everything to him and my family."

The Chargers made the 20-year-old Seau the No. 5 pick in the 1990 draft, worried only that he might be gone before they had a chance to select him. As was the case at USC, Seau did not feel immediately embraced by his teammates. He felt shunned because he was a contract holdout in his first training camp.

He experienced an attitude shift in the seventh game of his rookie season, against the Los Angeles Raiders, when he had successfully called a defensive huddle. His team was not victorious on that day, but, in a way, Seau was.

"My dad called me and said, 'Oh, sorry you didn't win,' " Seau recalled years later in an interview with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I said, 'Don't worry, I won. They huddled for me.' That is what I would call a turning point in my career."

The following year, he made the first of his 12 consecutive Pro Bowls. But the Chargers had only sporadic success during his time with them, posting non-winning records in 10 of Seau's 13 seasons. The franchise did make its only Super Bowl appearance, however, when he was on the team, losing to San Francisco in January 1995.

"I don't think there will ever be anybody who will be able to match what this guy was able to do on the football field," said longtime Raiders receiver Tim Brown. "He was big, fast, smart, strong and fearless. You put all that in a weak-side linebacker, and you've got somebody who's scary. For many, many years he was just that for us."

Seau's career with the Chargers came to a close in April 2003, when the team traded him to Miami for a conditional draft choice. He wound up starting 15 games for the Dolphins and made 133 tackles. But the following year, he was sidelined for eight games with torn biceps. That was only one fewer game than he had missed in the previous 14 seasons combined.

The time away from practices and games took its toll.

"I'll tell you what, there are a lot of minutes in the day," he told reporters in Miami in 2005. "I know that now. I definitely got a little taste of what it's going to be like when the game is done. It's something I'm not ready for."

The next season it was an Achilles tendon injury that ended his year, and in August 2006, he retired after signing a ceremonial one-day contract with the Chargers. His playing days were not over, however. Just four days later, he signed with New England and wound up playing the better part of four seasons with the Patriots.

Tiaina Baul Seau Jr. was born Jan. 19, 1969, in Oceanside to Tiaina Baul and Luisa Seau, natives of American Samoa. One of six children, Junior Seau spent several years with his family in his parents' homeland, but most of his youth was spent in Oceanside, where his father was a high school janitor.

He enrolled at USC in 1987 determined to escape the kind of street violence that swirled around others in the Samoan community. A 16-year-old cousin was killed in an apparent gang shooting in 2005.

After retiring from football, Seau remained in the public eye: appearing at his sports-themed restaurant in San Diego, raising money for youth groups through the Junior Seau Foundation and playing in his annual charity golf tournament.

"As great a football player as Junior was, he was a greater human being," the Rev. Shawn Mitchell, the Chargers' chaplain for 28 years, said Wednesday.

In October 2010, Seau drove his sport utility vehicle off a 30-foot coastal bluff in Carlsbad in the hours after an argument with his girlfriend. He told police that he had fallen asleep while driving; he was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and released.

Oceanside police arrested Seau on suspicion of domestic violence, but the San Diego County district attorney's office declined to file charges.

Former Chargers General Manager Bobby Beathard, who drafted Seau, was among those shocked by his death. "The whole time I was in the NFL … I don't know if I've ever seen anybody like Junior … that had it all," Beathard said. "Just a great guy. He loved playing the game. He loved his teammates. He loved life. I certainly can't understand what went wrong or what happened."

tony.perry@latimes.com

sam.farmer@latimes.com

Perry reported from Oceanside, Farmer from Los Angeles.

Mass slaying's effect on Seal Beach to figure in death penalty bid

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

A shooting rampage that left eight people dead at a Seal Beach beauty salon last year was so emotionally wrenching to residents in the small beach town that prosecutors say they'll use that as part of their argument that the accused killer deserves the death penalty.

In court papers filed this week, prosecutors said that if former tugboat crewman Scott Dekraai is convicted in the slayings, they will present victim impact evidence on behalf of the entire city to show that the midday shooting had a lasting effect on the tight-knit community.

Assistant Dist. Atty. Dan Wagner said in court filings that Dekraai, 42, exhibited a "high degree of cruelty, viciousness and callousness," when he allegedly walked into Salon Meritage and shot and killed his ex-wife and seven others. He is also accused of wounding a ninth person.

Dekraai has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Wagner said in the document that the victims were "particularly vulnerable" when they were shot "execution-style" at close range. The shooting, the prosecutor said, was carried out with "planning, sophistication and professionalism" by Dekraai, who wore a bulletproof vest during the rampage.

Wagner said in the document that he would also argue that the harm done by the crimes affected not only victims' families but also survivors, witnesses (including first responders) and the entire community.

The crime was so horrendous that the effect on the city is almost a no-brainer, said Mayor Mike Levitt.

"I would think that in any mass killing, when you have that large a number of victims, you're going to have an impact on the community," he said.

Dekraai has a history of alleged criminal activity involving the "use or attempted use of force or violence," the prosecutor said.

He cited nine incidents involving Dekraai, including one in 1995 in which he allegedly slammed his girlfriend's head against a car, causing a concussion.

One of the incidents involved Michelle Fournier, his ex-wife. In 2004, Dekraai allegedly "waved a gun at his wife and threatened to kill her if she did not leave the house," according to the document.

Fournier, 48, was the first one killed in the 10-minute salon shooting.

nicole.santacruz@latimes.com

L.A. County D.A. candidates square off in forum

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Five of six candidates running for Los Angeles County district attorney squared off Wednesday at a forum hosted by The Times, with several outlining visions for the office that go beyond imprisoning hardened criminals to include reform of the justice system.

The candidates' forum — the first attended by City Atty. Carmen Trutanich, who leads the pack in fundraising — saw barbs traded over government transparency, prosecutor morale and whether California should end capital punishment.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Danette Meyers, who offered the clearest break with the current D.A. administration, said she supports a November ballot initiative that would replace the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole. Meyers, who prosecuted four death row inmates, decried how long it takes the state to execute offenders.

One of the worst days of her life, she said, involved telling the mother of a child who was raped, tortured and murdered in 1990 that she would have to relive what had happened again in a new trial after an appeals court overturned the convicted man's sentence.

The girl's mother "knew that in her lifetime she would not see the person who killed her 11-year-old daughter executed," Meyers said. "The system can't be reformed."

The other four candidates who attended the forum — John L. Breault III, Alan Jackson, Jackie Lacey and Trutanich — said they believe execution is an appropriate punishment for particularly heinous killings. Bobby Grace, who could not attend because he was trying a death penalty case, has also expressed support for the November ballot measure, saying he believes the current system does not work.

Lacey, the chief deputy D.A., accused Meyers of grandstanding, saying she had written memos asking the office for permission to seek death in a recent case but was rebuffed.

"When you're writing those memos … why doesn't the thought of reform occur to you then?" Lacey asked.

Lacey, who until recently had kept a relatively low profile in the campaign, was the most combative candidate, directing her fire at Meyers and Trutanich. She questioned the morale of prosecutors in the city attorney's office and how much of an open government advocate Trutanich has been. She reminded the audience that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office criticized the city attorney for advising the city's Fire Department against releasing data that would show how long it took to respond to emergencies.

"I recall that one being one big old mess," Lacey said.

Trutanich said the issue involved patient privacy, not response times. "What the public will get with me is someone who understands the issues before they comment," he shot back.

The city attorney also defended his record of running the office he has headed since 2009, saying he has managed to avoid layoffs despite seeing millions of dollars cut from his budget. "My employees are as happy as they can be in this dire circumstance," Trutanich said.

The six candidates are vying to run the most powerful office in the county's criminal justice system — one responsible for prosecuting roughly 60,000 felony cases a year, including murders, rapes and robberies. If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote in the June 5 primary, the top two vote-getters will face each other in a November runoff.

Trutanich said California's fiscal crisis means the next D.A. must emphasize crime prevention rather than pursue the state's current philosophy of locking offenders away at a cost of billions of dollars.

"We as the prosecutors of the future have to be looking at it in terms of our budgets, how do we accomplish more for less," he said.

Before Wednesday's event, The Times solicited questions from readers. Among the suggestions was one for Trutanich, who is running despite pledging during the 2009 city attorney's race that he would not seek higher office until he had served two terms with the city. The question: "If you win, how soon will you start running for California attorney general?"

"I'm making no pledges," Trutanich replied.

Jackson and Breault, the only Republican candidates in the nonpartisan race, stayed largely out of the fray and said politics should be kept out of the office.

Jackson, assistant head of the D.A.'s major crimes division, said he would prioritize modernizing the office and voiced support for alternative sentencing courts, which emphasize rehabilitation over incarceration. "We're never going to handcuff our way out of the crime problem," he said.

jack.leonard@latimes.com

Three ICE agents shot in Northern California while serving warrant

Thu, 03 May 2012 07:55:29 -0700

Three U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were shot in the Northern California town of Petaluma early Thursday while executing a warrant as part of an ongoing investigation, authorities said.

A source familiar with the investigation said the agents' wounds were not life-threatening.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that the shooting occurred about 4 a.m. at a residence on the east side of town. Two of the agents were taken by ambulance to area hospitals; the third was airlifted, the paper reported.

Local news footage showed dozens of officers, some in SWAT gear, at the scene two hours later.

The incident occurred hours after an ICE agent was fatally shot in Carson in what authorities say was a domestic dispute. The victim's 14-year-old son has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

ALSO:

Miramonte teachers removed from school to break silence

Junior Seau sent texts to ex-wife, kids before killing himself

Slain ICE agent's 14-year-old son arrested on suspicion of murder

-- Andrew Blankstein and Bettina Boxall

Slain ICE agent's 14-year-old son arrested on suspicion of murder

Thu, 03 May 2012 07:46:44 -0700

The 14-year-old son of a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot to death Wednesday night at their Carson home has been arrested on suspicion of murder, Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials said Thursday

The agent, whose name has not been released, was killed by a single shot fired into his house in the 19300 block of Broadacres Avenue shortly after 9 p.m., investigators said.

Lt. Holly Francisco said the son, who has not been identified, is alleged to have fired one shot from the backyard with his father's ICE-issued handgun.

The agent, who is about 40 and had been with ICE for four years, was in a TV room on the ground floor when he was wounded in the head, Francisco said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The agent's girlfriend also lived at the house but was not there at the time of the shooting, authorities said.

A motive for the shooting had not been determined, she said.

"This was a domestic violence incident," she said.

ICE agents and sheriff's homicide investigators were at the house this morning. Police tape blocked access to the house, in a residential neighborhood of one- and two-story homes. About two dozen ICE agents gathered for a few minutes and then left, some wiping away tears.

"I am deeply saddened to report that one of our ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents died tragically at his home in the Los Angeles area overnight," ICE Director John Morton said in a statement.

"This is a difficult time for the family and loved ones of the agent, and for everyone at ICE," he said. "Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers."

It was the second fatal shooting of an ICE agent in the Los Angeles area this year.

In February, a confrontation between agents at the Glenn M. Anderson Building in Long Beach erupted in gunfire that left one agent dead and another seriously injured.

Authorities said Ezequiel Garcia, 45, who supervised a Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, wounded Deputy Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kozak, 51, in his upper torso, legs and hands before being shot and killed himself by a supervisor.

ALSO:

Miramonte teachers removed from school to break silence

Junior Seau sent texts to ex-wife, kids before killing himself

No sign of trouble between slain ICE agent and son, friend says

-- Kim Christensen in Los Angeles and Matt Stevens in Carson

Photo: Authorities remove the body of the slain ICE agent in Carson. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Student left in cell for 5 days wants $20 million from DEA

Thu, 03 May 2012 07:36:55 -0700

Daniel Chong, a 23-year-old UC San Diego student whose five-day ordeal behind bars has made national headlines, plans to sue the Drug Enforcement Administration over the incident, his attorney said.

The DEA apologized Wednesday to Chong, who was accidentally left unattended in a holding cell for five days and reportedly drank his own urine to survive.

"He is glad to be alive," Iredale said of Chong. "He wants to make sure that what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else."

The DEA, which identified Chong only as "the individual in question," said he and eight others were swept up during a raid of a suspected Ecstasy distribution operation where agents found guns, ammunition, 18,000 Ecstasy pills and other drugs.

Chong, the agency said, was "accidentally left in one of the cells." He told NBC San Diego he kicked the door "many, many times" in a futile attempt to get agents' attention.

When they finally found Chong, he was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he spent five days. Iredale said Chong, who was close to kidney failure and had trouble breathing, spent three of those days in the intensive-care unit.

Chong also suffered hallucinations and "thought he was going insane," Iredale said. Chong told NBC San Diego he tried to kill himself by breaking his glasses and cutting his wrists.

"I didn't care if I died," he told the station. "I was completely insane."

William R. Sherman, acting special agent in charge of the DEA's San Diego Division, apologized in a statement Wednesday and said he had ordered "an extensive review" of DEA policies and procedures.

Iredale confirmed Chong had stayed with friends the night of April 20 to "celebrate" the day heralded by many marijuana aficionados "in the typical way -- by smoking some pot."

But the attorney said the meth found in the cell was not his client's and was there before his arrival.

"The DEA's protocol was so sloppy that somebody who was a previous prisoner secreted a small amount of meth in a plastic bag inside a blanket," Iredale said.

ALSO:

Police detain suspect in May Day drum attack on officer

Five DMV employees in San Diego indicted on bribery charges

Slain ICE agent's 14-year-old son arrested on suspicion of murder

-- Kate Mather

Photo: Daniel Chong. Credit: K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune

ICE agent shot and killed in Carson

Thu, 03 May 2012 06:47:54 -0700

A federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was killed Wednesday night by a single shot fired into his Carson home from the outside, officials said.

The agent, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, which occurred shortly after 9 p.m. in the 19300 block of Broadacres Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

A motive for the shooting was not known. KTLA reported that the agent's son was home with him at the time.

ICE agents and homicide investigators were at the home Thursday morning.

"This is a difficult time for the family and loved ones of the agent, and for everyone at ICE," he said. "Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers."

It was the second fatal shooting of an ICE agent this year.

In February, a confrontation between agents at the Glenn M. Anderson Building in Long Beach erupted in gunfire that left one agent dead and another seriously injured.

Authorities said Ezequiel Garcia, 45, who supervised a document and benefit fraud task force, wounded Deputy Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kozak, 51, in his upper torso, legs and hands before being shot and killed himself by a supervisor.

ALSO:

Slain ICE agent's 14-year-old son arrested on suspicion of murder

Three ICE agents shot in Northern California while serving warrant

Football Star Junior Seau sent texts to ex-wife, kids before killing himself

-- Kim Christensen and KTLA

Photo: Authorities confer at the scene where an ICE agent was fatally shot in Carson on Wednesday night. Credit: KTLA

ICE agent shot dead in his Carson home

Thu, 03 May 2012 05:32:56 -0700

An investigation is underway in Carson, where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was fatally shot inside his home Wednesday night.

The shooting was reported just after 9 p.m. in the 19300 block of Broadacres Avenue. Investigators at the scene said someone fired shots from outside the house.

The victim's identity has not been released, and the motive for the shooting remains unknown.

Several ICE agents were on the scene Thursday morning, in addition to Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies.

Authorities said the incident is not related to the recent string of birdshot shootings in the area.

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One person killed, two injured in Westminster crash

Repair bill for San Onofre nuclear plant could hit $65 million

Man celebrating 'drug holiday' locked in cell for 5 days by DEA

-- KTLA

Boyfriend held in Long Beach woman's slaying

Wed, 02 May 2012 19:27:42 -0700

A 49-year-old Long Beach man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of killing his girlfriend, police said.

Detectives found the 51-year-old woman’s body about 6 p.m. Tuesday inside the home the couple shared in the 100 block of Ellis Street after an anonymous caller asked police to check on her.

The woman had sustained “obvious trauma” to her upper body, and investigators suspect her death was the result of a domestic dispute, according to a statement released by the Long Beach Police Department.

The names of the victim and suspect were withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine the time and cause of the woman's death.

Police said she was last seen Monday. Her boyfriend was found at a residence in Compton, the statement said. He was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held at the Long Beach City Jail without bail.

Police are asking anyone with information about the death to contact homicide Dets. Mark McGuire and Greg Krabbe at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted via text or web by visiting www.tipsoft.com.

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Seau family asks for prayers, thanks public

Long Beach man accused of running sex trafficking ring

Irvine homes, school evacuated because of natural gas leak

-- Alexandra Zavis

Five DMV employees in San Diego indicted on bribery charges

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:33:16 -0700

Five Department of Motor Vehicles employees were among 21 people indicted in San Diego on federal bribery charges Wednesday in issuing driver's licenses to people who had flunked or not taken the tests.

Also indicted were the owner of a driver's school and 15 people who allegedly bought driver's licenses for up to $3,000. The DMV offices involved were in El Cajon and Rancho San Diego, according to prosecutors.

The licenses included regular driver's licenses and commercial licenses that allow the holder to drive vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds. More arrests are possible, U.S. Atty. Laura Duffy said.

Allowing someone who purchased an illegal license to drive a commercial vehicle, possibly hauling hazardous materials, represents a threat to the public, Duffy said.

All 21 people indicted face bribery charges that carry penalties of five to 10 years in prison.

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Junior Seau left no suicide note, police say

Police detain suspect in May Day drum attack on officer

Case dropped against casting director over sex crime disclosure

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Student forgotten in cell by DEA ‘glad to be alive,’ lawyer says

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:12:10 -0700

The attorney representing the 23-year-old UC San Diego student who reportedly drank his own urine to survive after being left in a Drug Enforcement Administration holding cell for five days without food or water said Wednesday his client was "glad to be alive."

San Diego attorney Eugene Iredale said Daniel Chong was still recovering after the incident, which resulted in a five-day stay at Sharp Hospital, including three days in the intensive care unit.

Iredale said he plans to file a lawsuit on Chong's behalf against the DEA and submitted initial paperwork today.

"He wants to make sure that what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else," Iredale said of Chong.

Identifying Chong only as "the individual in question," the DEA said the engineering student and eight others were swept up in an April 21 raid of a suspected Ecstasy distribution operation where agents found guns, ammunition and drugs. The nine were taken to DEA area headquarters, where they were fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed.

After processing, the DEA said, seven of the nine were taken to a county detention facility, one was released and Chong was "accidentally left in one of the cells."

When agents finally found Chong, the DEA said, he was taken to the hospital. Iredale said his client was close to kidney failure and was having trouble breathing by the time he was discovered. Chong also suffered hallucinations, Iredale said, and "thought he was going insane."

The DEA said Chong told agents he had been at the house that was raided "to get high with his friends" and that he later admitted using a white powdery substance found in his cell that tested positive for methamphetamine.

Iredale confirmed that his client had stayed with friends the night before the raid to "celebrate" April 20 — a day heralded by many marijuana aficionados — "in the typical way by smoking some pot." But, Iredale said, the meth found in the cell was there prior to Chong's arrival.

"The DEA's protocol was so sloppy that somebody who was a previous prisoner secreted a small amount of meth in a plastic bag inside a blanket," Iredale said.

Chong has not been charged. William R. Sherman, acting special agent in charge of the DEA's San Diego Division, said in a statement the agency planned to thoroughly review "both the events and the detention procedures on April 21st and after."

Sherman said he was "deeply troubled by the incident" and apologized to Chong.

"I extend my deepest apologies [to] the young man and want to express that this event is not indicative of the high standards that I hold my employees to," Sherman said.

Iredale said his client missed midterms while he was in the cell but school was not an immediate concern.

"He is still recovering," Iredale said. "He is glad to be alive."

ALSO:

Junior Seau left no suicide note, police say

Police detain suspect in May Day drum attack on officer

Case dropped against casting director over sex crime disclosure

-- Kate Mather

Photo: UC San Diego student Daniel Chong was left in a Drug Enforcement Administration holding cell for five days without food or water. Credit: KTLA-TV

District attorney candidates face off in forum

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:43:16 -0700

Five candidates in the race for Los Angeles County district attorney met Wednesday at a forum hosted by the Los Angeles Times, the first such event attended by L.A. City Atty. Carmen Trutanich, the highest-profile candidate and top money-raiser.

Six candidates are in the running to replace Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley as head of the most powerful office in the county's criminal justice system. It is the first time in nearly 50 years that the race has not featured an incumbent. Bobby Grace, a deputy district attorney prosecuting major crimes, was unable to attend the morning forum because he was in court.

Trutanich and the other candidates in attendance — Deputy Dist. Atty. Danette Meyers, Deputy Dist. Atty. John Breault III, gang homicide prosecutor Alan Jackson and Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey — took turns answering questions about their experience, their stance on a November ballot measure abolishing the death penalty, and their views on the role of the L.A. district attorney's office in state politics.

When Times Editor at Large Jim Newton asked the candidates if they intended to bring more transparency to the office, most said they would as long as the law allowed.

Lacey went a step further, questioning a statement Trutanich made moments before when he said his office's policy "has always been one of transparency."

Lacey pointed out a recent dispute between the city of Los Angeles and several media outlets regarding the release of information about medical emergencies. Fire Chief Brian Cummings has told The Times that the city attorney's office had preliminarily advised the department to "immediately cease" its longstanding practice of releasing information including the time, location and nature of emergencies.

Days later, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa ordered Cummings to make the information public.

"I recall that being one big old mess," Lacey told Trutanich.

Trutanich fired back, saying the issue "wasn't about response times, it was about HIPAA," the patient privacy law.

Trutanich also drew heat from a question submitted by a Times reader, who asked "how long it would be" until Trutanich ran for state office if he were elected. Other candidates have criticized Trutanich for backing off a promise he made in the November 2008 race for city attorney, when he called on then-City Councilman Jack Weiss to join him in promising not to run for another office while serving in the post.

"I'm making no pledges," Trutanich said.

ALSO:

Live coverage: Candidates for L.A. district attorney face off

Gray skies to hang over Southern California through weekend

Football star Junior Seau found dead of gunshot wound at home

-- Kate Mather

Photo: L.A. City Atty. Carmen Trutanich. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Football star Junior Seau found dead of gunshot wound at home

Police detain suspect in May Day drum attack on officer

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:42:16 -0700

Los Angeles police said they have detained a man believed to have struck a female officer on the head with a snare drum during Tuesday's May Day rally, law enforcement sources said.

The suspect was not immediately identified and was being questioned. Police stressed that they still want anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.

The incident was captured on video and uploaded to YouTube, under the title "Cheap Shot on Cop." A man dressed in a black T-shirt and black hoodie is seen approaching the helmeted female officer, circling around behind her and striking her on the back of the head with the item before running off.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

Police officials said the officer was hospitalized as a precaution but was not seriously injured. The impact of the blow jerked her head forward and dented her helmet, officials said.

Police are continuing to search for several masked suspects who attacked officers with a large wooden pallet in a separate incident.

The downtown incident unfolded when officers issued a call for help at 4th and Hill streets about 4:20 p.m. Tuesday when demonstrators, many from the Occupy movement, began circling officers and chanting, "We are the 99%." The crowd swelled as officers arrived by bicycle, motorcycle and on foot to quell the brewing confrontation.

At least 14 arrests were reported Tuesday, including three in North Hollywood, one downtown involving a false bomb threat against a bank, and 10 pre-designated detentions at Los Angeles International Airport.

The incidents were in contrast to the overall tone of the protests, which were largely nonviolent.

At least 13 arrested in L.A. May Day protests

Police put on riot gear as May Day protests converge

-- Andrew Blankstein

twitter.com/anblanx

Junior Seau left no suicide note, police say

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:34:19 -0700

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Police say no suicide note was left behind by football star Junior Seau, who was found dead Wednesday in his Oceanside home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest.

Though few details were available, police confirmed no suicide note was left behind, no foul play was suspected and his girlfriend discovered his body in bed Wednesday morning when she returned from the gym.

Later in the day, as police walked in and out of Seau's beachfront home, his family members could be seen huddling in the garage, weeping. Earlier, his mother appeared distraught.

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

"I don't understand, I don't understand," Luisa Seau cried as she spoke to reporters and others gathered outside the home.

She said she was in church when she heard her son was dead. "I pray to God, 'Take me, take me, leave my son.' But it's too late."

Neighbor Brian Ballis, 50, of Oceanside, said he would often see Seau, 43, on the balcony, or in the ocean paddleboarding or surfing. Two days ago, Ballis saw him playing the ukulele on his balcony, describing the tune as "Hawaiian-style music."

“He was smiling and happy,” Ballis said, "and looking at the sky and looking at the waves."

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

Seau was a familiar presence in the Oceanside neighbor and could be seen running up and down the oceanfront street with his dog.

He said he was originally drawn to Seau, whom he referred to affectionately as Junebug, because they shared a competitive spirit.

"He was a good guy always trying to win," Hardyway said.

Over the years, Hardyway and Seau became more distant, but whenever Seau was in town, they would try to catch up and talk about their children and sports.

“Junior’s always been in good spirits," he said. "If something is bothering him, you won't know."

In 2010, Seau was involved in a crash near his home when the sport-utility vehicle he was driving went over a beachside cliff. The accident occurred after he was arrested in Oceanside on suspicion of domestic violence.

After Seau's death was announced by police Wednesday, the San Diego Chargers urged fans to pray.

Former USC football star Reggie Bush said on Twitter: "Damn this one hurts San Diego! One of the greatest to come from the city."

At USC, Seau's alma mater, Athletic Director Pat Haden called Seau "one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55."

"He was one of the greatest Trojans of all time," USC football Coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement.

Seau, an All-American at USC and 12-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker, played 13 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and three seasons with the Dolphins. He left the game briefly but then signed and played with the New England Patriots before calling it quits for good in 2010.

RELATED:

Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Junior Seau's death mourned by Chargers, local high school

Seau's friend: 'If something's bothering him, you won't know'

-- Tony Perry and Nicole Santa Cruz in Oceanside

Case dropped against casting director over sex crime disclosure

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:19:03 -0700

A Superior Court judge dismissed the criminal case against a Hollywood casting director accused of concealing his sex-offender status with an alias Wednesday, saying the man had consistently provided his real name, driver's license and passport to the movie studios that employed him.

"There is no dispute that every studio … was aware of his true and legal name," Judge Elden Fox said throwing out the sole charge against Jason James Murphy.

The 35-year-old was known as Jason James in the movie industry, where he helped cast young actors in such films as "Super 8" and "The Three Stooges." On the state's Megan's Law list, where he was required to register because of his 1996 kidnapping of an 8-year-old, he was identified as Jason James Murphy with no aliases.

He was arrested in December following a Times report about how "Super 8" director J.J. Abrams and others in the industry had recently discovered Murphy's conviction. He was charged with failing to comply with a part of the sex offender law that requires registrants to inform authorities of any name change within five days.

In his ruling, Fox expressed concern that parents of young actors who auditioned with Murphy could not find the name he used on his resume, e-mails and voicemail if they searched the sex-offender registry.

"I think parents who may be involved in this particular business … probably should be aware of the fact that he is a 290 registrant," the judge said.

But, he said, the law didn't prohibit Murphy from using a shortened version of his legal name professionally and the fact he used his legal name on payroll sheets and tax forms made his criminal history available to his bosses.

"There was nothing the defendant did in this case to prevent that information from becoming public," Fox said.

His decision came a day after Murphy took the stand in Fox's Beverly Hills courtroom. He said he had used Jason James as a stage name before his crimes and continued to do so because he was trying to build a body of work. He told the judge he meticulously followed the sex offender laws because he never wanted to return to prison and hadn't considered his professional name an alias.

"I wasn't hiding it," he said.

After the judge's decision, Murphy left court smiling. The revelations of his sex-offender status destroyed his career and he subsequently moved from Los Angeles to Seattle.

"It's unfortunate that Mr. Murphy lost his livelihood and hard-won career as a result of these charges, but he is determined to use his talents and skill to move forward with his life," his attorney, Shawn Holley, said outside court.

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Videos show attacks on LAPD officers during May Day rally

Gray skies to hang over Southern California through weekend

Junior Seau friend: 'If something's bothering him, you won't know'

-- Harriet Ryan

Photo: Jason James Murphy, who spent five years in prison for kidnapping and molesting an 8-year-old boy in Washington 15 years ago. Credit: Washington State Department of Corrections

Junior Seau's death mourned by Chargers, local high school

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:11:16 -0700

The owner and head coach of the San Diego Chargers grappled with the news Wednesday of the sudden passing of standout linebacker Junior Seau, who died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"Junior was my friend. We all lost a friend today," said Chargers President Dean Spanos in a statement. "Junior was an icon in our community. He transcended the game. He wasn't just a football player, he was so much more.... This is just such a tragic loss. One of the worst things I could ever imagine."

"I can tell you no one had more character and true leadership ability than Junior," added Chargers Coach Norv Turner. "He brought passion to the game of football that was unmatched. His commitment to charitable causes in the community was inspiring. It was an honor to know him."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

Officials with the Oceanside Unified School District, where Seau attended school, called the death of one of its most famous alumni “a huge loss.” Seau, who graduated from Oceanside High as a muti-sport letterman before moving north to play college football for USC, is a member of the high school's Hall of Fame.

For years, Seau was the epitome of an intimidating linebacker in the NFL, with many Chargers fans affectionately alerting his nickname to “Say-Ow!” His local celebrity increased as he led the Chargers to a Super Bowl appearance in 1995, and he opened a sports bar restaurant a year later.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

Seau’s foundation, the Junior Seau Foundation, has also distributed nearly $4 million to organizations providing services to children and young adults, according to its website.

Meantime, NFL players took to Twitter to react to the news of Seau’s passing.

“My prayers and condolences to the family of one of the NFL's greatest linebackers to ever play the game.. Junior Seau.. R.I.P,” wrote New England Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.

“Watched him as a kid & he represented a lot of great things,” said Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

“So saddened by the news of Junior Seau's passing,” said Seattle Seahawks and former USC coach Pete Carroll. “The hearts of the Trojan family go out to his relatives and friends.”

Seau was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 2009.

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Seau death 'hurts,' Reggie Bush says

Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Seau's friend: 'If something's bothering him, you won't know'

-- Matt Stevens

Twitter.com/mattstevenslat

Photo: Junior Seau celebrates his team's recovery of a Redskins fumble on Sept.9, 2001. Credit: Vince Compagnone / Los Angeles Times

Junior Seau friend: 'If something's bothering him, you won't know'

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:01:29 -0700

Bystanders and television news crews huddled around yellow police tape Wednesday at Junior Seau's Oceanside home, a two-story condo with a balcony facing the beach, where he was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Family members gathered in the garage, weeping, as police investigators went about their work.

Brian Ballis, 50, of Oceanside, a house painter who lives in the neighborhood, said he would often see Seau, 43, on the balcony, or in the ocean paddleboarding or surfing. Two days ago, Ballis saw him playing the ukulele on his balcony, describing the tune as "Hawaiian-style music."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

“He was smiling and happy,” Ballis said, "and looking at the sky and looking at the waves."

Seau was a familiar presence in the Oceanside neighbor and could be seen running up and down the oceanfront street with his dog.

“He seemed happy every time I saw him," Ballis said, saying the last time he spotted the former football star was Monday afternoon.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

"He was a good guy, always trying to win," Hardyway said. Over the years, Hardyway and Seau became more distant, but whenever Seau was in town, they would try to catch up and talk about their children and sports.

“Junior’s always been in good spirits," he said. "If something is bothering him, you won't know."

He said that even with Seau's success, he always remained approachable.

“You could walk up to him, no problem, autographs, the whole nine [yards]."

He called Junior "tough," saying he had a "strong poker face." Over the years, football seemed to take him away from his family but "when he came home, he was always the same.”

Hardyway said he will cherish his memories of competing with Seau, such as going to regionals.

“Even though he's gone, I still have those memories,” he said.

Hardyway's nickname for Seau was Junebug. With tears in his eyes, he said the news of the suicide was “unfathomable.”

“He worked hard to achieve what he accomplished,” he said. “Oceanside just lost a real great talent.”

In other reaction, USC Athletic Director Pat Haden said in a statement released on a college website: "We are tremendously saddened to hear this news and our hearts go out to his family and children. Junior Seau was one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55."

USC football Coach Lane Kiffin also released a statement: "This is a very sad day. The USC football program and the entire Trojan Family extends our condolences to Junior's family. He was one of the greatest Trojans of all-time."

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Seau death 'hurts,' Reggie Bush says

Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Junior Seau found dead in apparent suicide

-- Nicole Santa Cruz in Oceanside

Photo: Junior Seau in 2002. Credit: Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

Two L.A. doctors among 108 arrested in Medicare fraud crackdown

Wed, 02 May 2012 13:19:25 -0700

Eight individuals in Los Angeles, including two doctors, were among scores of healthcare providers charged Wednesday as part of a national crackdown on Medicare fraud.

The sweep of arrests in seven major cities, where some $455 million was alleged to have been fraudulently billed to Medicare, marked the highest amount of false claims pursued in a single raid in the history of a federal strike force convened to combat rising fraud in the medical industry.

All told, 108 doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers from around the nation were charged. In Los Angeles, authorities said defendants had filed $20 million in false claims.

Bolademi Adetola, owner of the Latay Medical Services company in Gardena, was charged with billing Medicare for power wheelchairs that never were purchased. The Greatcare Home Health group allegedly paid “kickbacks” to recruiters to find “patients” who were in good health, and then arranged to have doctors knowingly write phony prescriptions for them.

In addition, Dr. Augustus Ohemeng and Dr. George Tarryk were among four individuals connected with a Southern California medical care group that authorities say billed Medicare for feeding tubes for patients who did not need them.

Of the 108 charged, 87 were arrested Wednesday. Federal agents were either still looking for the other 21 or were expecting them to voluntarily surrender.

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Junior Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Videos show attacks on LAPD officers during May Day rally

'Industrial' sounds blast homeless from S.F. auditorium steps

-- Richard Serrano

DEA apologizes to student who says he drank his urine to survive

Wed, 02 May 2012 13:12:24 -0700

The Drug Enforcement Administration has apologized to a San Diego college student who said he drank his own urine to survive after being left in a holding cell for five days without food, water or access to a toilet.

The man, identified by news outlets as 23-year-old UC San Diego engineering student Daniel Chong, was “accidentally” left in the holding cell after he and eight other people were detained for questioning following an April 21 raid in which agents found guns, ammunition and an array of drugs, including 18,000 ecstasy pills, the DEA said.

“I am deeply troubled by the incident that occurred here last week,” William R. Sherman, acting special agent in charge of DEA's San Diego Division, said in a statement Wednesday.

“I extend my deepest apologies [to] the young man and want to express that this event is not indicative of the high standards that I hold my employees to,” Sherman said, adding he has ordered “an extensive review” of DEA policies and procedures.

Identified by the DEA only as “the individual in question,” Chong and the others were swept up during a raid of a suspected ecstasy distribution operation and taken to DEA area headquarters, the agency said.

All of the suspects were fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed individually, as agents moved them among the five cells at the DEA post.

After processing, seven of the nine were taken to a county detention facility, one was released and Chong was “accidentally left in one of the cells,” the DEA said, without elaborating.

As days went by, Chong told NBC San Diego, he “kicked the door many, many times,” in a futile attempt to get agents’ attention. He eventually drank his urine to survive, he said, began hallucinating and tried to kill himself by breaking his glasses and cutting his wrist.

“I didn’t care if I died,” he told the station. “I was completely insane.”

When agents finally discovered Chong, he was taken to a hospital and admitted to an intensive-care unit for several days, the station said.

The DEA said Chong told agents he had been at the house that was raided “to get high with his friends” and that he later admitted using a white powdery substance found in his cell that tested positive for methamphetamine. He has not been charged.

“The individual is not currently under arrest,” the DEA said in a statement, “and we plan to thoroughly review both the events and the detention procedures on April 21st and after.”

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-- Kim Christensen and Tony Perry

Speed limit for skateboarders? Councilman aims to stop 'bombing'

Wed, 02 May 2012 13:03:35 -0700

The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to seek a speed limit for skateboarders and penalize them for failing to follow basic traffic rules.

Spurred on by Councilman Joe Buscaino, the council instructed City Atty. Carmen Trutanich to draft an ordinance that would limit skateboards to 25 miles per hour and require that they stop at stop signs and yield to vehicles and pedestrians. The measure would also prohibit “unsafe” skateboard activity.

Buscaino, the council’s newest member, sought the ordinance following the death of two skateboarders in his Harbor district over the past year. He said he wants to put an end to downhill skateboard “bombing” -– the practice of riding at high speeds, sometimes while weaving in and out of traffic.

The ordinance must be approved by the council before going into effect. Buscaino said he wants police officers to have the power to confiscate skateboards to ensure that violators don’t conceal their traffic citations from their parents.

“We’re looking at asking the city attorney to have the officers impound the skateboards after the citation is given, so that the parents can go to the police station and recover the skateboard,” he said.

The proposal drew praise from Diana Nave, president of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council. She said her group receives more email on the issue of skateboard safety than on nearly any other issue.

Skateboarders “have been weaving in and out of traffic, or they have come out of nowhere because they’re moving so rapidly,” she said.

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San Diego college student forgotten in cell says he drank his urine

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-- David Zahniser at Los Angeles City Hall

Photo: Skateboarders could be subject to speed limits under action requested by the Los Angeles City Council. Credit: John W. Adkisson / Los Angeles Times

Junior Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Wed, 02 May 2012 13:01:38 -0700

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Junior Seau's mother, distraught at the apparent suicide of her son, said she does not understand why the 43-year-old former football star took his life.

"I don't understand, I don't understand," Luisa Seau cried as she spoke to reporters and others gathered outside Junior Seau's home in Oceanside.

"I'm shocked," she said. "I appreciate everybody showing your love to my son. Junior never do anything bad. I say to you: thank you and you guys for showing your love."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

Luisa Seau said she was in church when she heard her son was dead. "I pray to God, 'Take me, take me, leave my son.' But it's too late."

Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy said Seau's girlfriend arrived at the home at 9:30 a.m. and found him dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

The case is being handled as a suicide, he said.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

The San Diego Chargers also issued a statement that they are in "complete shock and disbelief" about Seau's death.

"We ask everyone to stop what they're doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family," the statement said.

Seau, 43, was an all-American at USC and then 12-time Pro-Bowl selection in the NFL. In addition to the Chargers, Seau also played for the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots.

Junior Seau's death mourned by Chargers, local high school

Seau's friend: 'If something's bothering him, you won't know'

-- Tony Perry

Football star Junior Seau death 'hurts,' Reggie Bush says

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:23:11 -0700

The San Diego Chargers urged fans to pray after football star Junior Seau was found dead Wednesday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Former USC football star Reggie Bush said on Twitter: "Damn this one hurts San Diego! One of the greatest to come from the city."

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

Few details were immediately available. TV footage showed police swarming the Oceanside home in North San Diego County and people comforting each other.

Oceanside police didn't have any immediate comment about what was happening at Seau's home but are expected to provide details soon.

The San Diego Chargers sent out a message on Twitter that said: "Due to the current reports about Junior Seau, today's season ticket-holder conference call with Head Coach Norv Turner has been canceled."

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

Seau, an all-American at USC and 12-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker, played 13 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and three seasons with the Dolphins. He left the game briefly but then signed and played with the New England Patriots before calling it quits for good in 2010.

"He was a local hero -- he certainly gave back to the community and to the youth through his Junior Seau Foundation," Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood told the North County Times. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends."

Junior Seau fell asleep at wheel before cliff crash, police say

Skid marks show sandy trail of Junior Seau's plunge over cliff

-- Tony Perry in Oceanside

Photo: Junior Seau in 2006. Credit: Sandy Huffaker / Associated Press

Football star Junior Seau found dead in apparent suicide

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:04:34 -0700

<&&>

This post has been updated. See below for details.

Former USC and San Diego Chargers football star Junior Seau was found dead Wednesday by his girlfriend in the bedroom of his beachside home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

Few details were immediately available. TV footage showed police swarming the Oceanside home in North San Diego County and people comforting each other.

Oceanside police didn't have any immediate comment about what was happening at Seau's home but are expected to provide details soon.

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

[Updated at 12:44 p.m., May 2: A previous version of this post said Seau suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy announced that Seau suffered a wound to the chest.]

RELATED:

Seau death 'hurts,' Reggie Bush says

Seau's mother: 'Take me, leave my son'

Junior Seau found dead in apparent suicide

-- Tony Perry in Oceanside

Football star Junior Seau found dead of gunshot wound at home

Wed, 02 May 2012 11:44:35 -0700

This post has been updated. See below for details.

Former USC and San Diego Chargers football star Junior Seau was found dead Wednesday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest at his Oceanside home.

His girlfriend found him dead in his bed, according to law enforcement sources.

Oceanside police didn't immediately have any comment about what was happening at Seau's home but are expected to provide details soon.

PHOTOS: Junior Seau | 1969 - 2012

Television footage showed police swarming around the home. The San Diego coroner's office could not confirm any information.

In 2010, Seau was involved in an accident in which his sport-utility vehicle went off a beachside cliff. The accident occurred after he was arrested in Oceanside on suspicion of domestic violence.

Seau also played for the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

[Updated at 12:46 p.m., May 2: A previous version of this post said Seau suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy announced that Seau suffered a wound to the chest.]

Football star Junior Seau death 'hurts,' Reggie Bush says

Football star Junior Seau found dead in apparent suicide

-- Tony Perry

Photo: Crowds gather outside Junior Seau's home. Credit: Fox 5 San Diego

Videos show attacks on LAPD officers during May Day rally

Wed, 02 May 2012 11:05:26 -0700

Los Angeles police were asking for the public's help Wednesday in identifying people caught on video assaulting officers with a drum and large wooden pallet during a May Day protest in downtown Los Angeles.

The incident occurred late Tuesday afternoon near 4th and Hill streets when protesters appeared to swarm a smaller number of LAPD officers, who in turn called for backup. Police initially believed one of the attacks was carried out with a skateboard but after reviewing the video footage determined it was a drum.

In one of the videos, titled "Cheap Shot on a Cop," a man dressed in a black T-shirt and black hoodie is seen approaching the female officer, circling around behind her and striking her on the back of the head with the item before running off.

Police officials said a female officer, who was not seriously injured, was hospitalized as a precaution. The impact of the blow jerked her head forward and dented her helmet, officials said.

The LAPD plans an afternoon news conference to discuss the cases.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

Additional footage from another video shows several protesters rushing officers and ramming them from behind with a large wooden construction pallet.

The downtown incident unfolded when officers issued a call for help at 4th and Hill streets about 4:20 p.m. Tuesday when protesters, many from the Occupy movement, began circling officers and chanting, "We are the 99%." The crowd swelled as officers arrived by bicycle, motorcycle and on foot to quell the brewing confrontation.

At least 14 arrests were reported Tuesday, including 10 pre-designated detentions at Los Angeles International Airport, three in North Hollywood and one downtown involving a false bomb threat against a bank.

The incidents were in contrast to the overall tone of the protests, which were largely nonviolent.

At least 13 arrested in L.A. May Day protests

Police put on riot gear as May Day protests converge

-- Andrew Blankstein (Twitter.com/anblanx)

Teacher accused of sending sex texts, images to student

Wed, 02 May 2012 10:13:46 -0700

Authorities said a La Mirada substitute teacher arrested on suspicion of lewd contact with a student met the girl in a classroom and soon developed a relationship with her on Facebook.

The Facebook friendship evolved into teacher Taylor Welch "sexting" the girl and sending her sexually graphic images, detectives said.

Welch, 22, was taken into custody Tuesday by detectives with the Los Angeles County sheriff's special victims unit. He is accused of inappropriately touching the 13-year-old alleged victim in the classroom.

Welch was a substitute teacher at Arlie F. Hutchinson Middle School, which is part of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District. He was being held in lieu of $140,000 bail.

Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Dan Scott said investigators learned of the alleged abuse when the victim showed photographs of the suspect, which were stored on her cellphone, to a friend.

This led to a parent reporting the matter to school authorities, who notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Welch was arrested on suspicion of felony lewd acts upon a child and distributing obscene material to a minor.

School district officials said they were notified Tuesday morning of Welch’s arrest and were cooperating with the investigation at Hutchinson Middle School.

Welch is the second substitute teacher in the district to be arrested this year. In March, Ted Nishihara was arrested on suspicion of molesting a student in a classroom at Los Coyotes Middle School.

Scott said detectives believe it is possible there are additional victims and urge anyone who may have been a victim to contact investigators at 1-877-710-5273 (LASD) or specialvictims@lasd.org

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-- Richard Winton

Woman's body found in Long Beach home

Wed, 02 May 2012 09:52:13 -0700

Detectives in Long Beach were investigating Wednesday the death of a woman whose body was found inside a home after an anonymous caller asked police to check on her.

“We have not yet identified who this individual is or determined the cause of death,” Long Beach police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said Wednesday.

Pratt said police went to the home in the 100 block of Ellis Street about 6 p.m. Tuesday after receiving the anonymous call.

After obtaining a search warrant to enter the home, they found the body and “it was clear that this was a homicide investigation,” Pratt said but did not elaborate.

No one else was in the home, she said.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death, she said.

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-- Kim Christensen

Public warned not to fly kites near airports

Wed, 02 May 2012 09:29:44 -0700

Authorities are warning the public against flying kites near airports after officials at Brackett Field Airport in San Dimas grew concerned that a kite spotted 500 feet over a nearby park would interfere with outbound flights.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies issued a warning to the 19-year-old Los Angeles man whose kite was aloft over the north end of Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas, which is next to the commercial airfield.

The park is dotted with signs that state "No kite flying." The man, who was not identified by sheriff's officials, told deputies he did not see the signs. No flights in or out of the private airport were affected.

Sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker said while most people comply with the signage in the park, the incident provided an opportunity to educate people on the dangers of flying kites near airports.

Under little-known federal regulations passed in 1963, moored balloons and kites cannot be flown within five miles of an airport or more than 500 feet off the ground. The rules do not apply to balloons or kites that are flown below the top of a building.

Federal Aviation Administration rules individuals to apply for a waiver a day in advance. The agency grants exceptions for kite flying below 150 feet but individuals must include information such as the location where they will operate the kite, names and addresses of the operators, the weight of the kite, as well as date, time and duration of the flight.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said he would not comment directly on the San Dimas kite case. But since 2000, he said the agency's database shows no reported enforcement actions involving kites and airplanes in the Western Pacific region, which includes California, Nevada, Hawaii and U.S. island territories.

Parker said deputies issued a warning rather than the citation because the teen immediately cooperated.

"If the same person were to do it again they would be cited or potentially arrested," Parker said. "But the person gave deputies every impression that he was not aware of this law."

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San Diego college student forgotten in cell says he drank his urine

Dumpster diver allegedly stole IDs by reassembling paper shreds

-- Andrew Blankstein (Twitter.com/anblanx)

Photo: Signs that state "No kite flying" are posted throughout Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas, which is next to Brackett Field Airport. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Dumpster diver allegedly stole IDs by reassembling paper shreds

Wed, 02 May 2012 08:56:51 -0700

Grant Lind allegedly was a dumpster diver with a lot of patience and a talent for putting together puzzle pieces.

Lind, 49, was charged last month with 44 felony counts in connection with a check counterfeiting scheme, according to authorities who say he gleaned bank account information from shredded checks he plucked from a Valencia dumpster.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department launched an investigation after a Castaic church reported bank account information had been stolen and used to write counterfeit checks. Detectives discovered 20 different victims, all Santa Clarita Valley residents and businesses, who had one thing in common. They had written checks to Valencia Self Storage in Valencia.

When investigators searched Lind’s residence in Newhall last October, they found check printers, computers and “bags and boxes full of these shredded documents,” said sheriff’s Det. David Lingscheit.

Lind would allegedly take a bag of shreds, divide the contents into smaller boxes and then assemble the pieces, each about 2 inches long and a quarter-inch wide, on top of the box and piece together bank account and routing numbers.

He then used the information to print and write more than 30 counterfeit checks worth about $16,000, authorities said.

The charges against Lind include identity theft, check forgery and false impersonation. His girlfriend, Tammy Combe, 47, was charged with one count related to allegedly stealing bank information from a man who lived with them.

Lind, who had moved with Combe from Newhall to Simi Valley, was arrested in Ventura County on similar charges about six weeks ago, Lingscheit said. Lind is being held in the Ventura County Jail in lieu of $850,000 bail. Combe, who was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, was being held in the Los Angeles County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Lingscheit’s advice: Use a shredder that cuts financial documents into indecipherable bits.

“Although people think they are shredding their documents to protect them from identity theft, there are people out there who take the time to reassemble them and the information winds up stolen,” he said.

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Yacht deaths: Boat may have hit rocks, not large ship

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-- Bettina Boxall

San Diego college student forgotten in cell says he drank his urine

Wed, 02 May 2012 08:38:28 -0700

A San Diego college student who was forgotten by federal drug agents and left in a holding cell for five days without food or water or access to a toilet says he drank his own urine to survive.

The man, identified by news outlets as 23-year-old UC San Diego engineering student Daniel Chong, was detained for questioning along with eight other people during an April 21 raid in which agents seized guns, ammunition and various drugs, according to the DEA.

The suspects were taken to the DEA's San Diego-area headquarters in Kearny Mesa, Fox5 San Diego reported. While being processed, they were moved around the five cells at the facility, according to the agency's statement.

Each was questioned in separate interview rooms and frequently moved around between rooms and cells.

"Seven suspects were brought to county [jail] after processing, one was released, and [Chong] was accidentally left in one of the cells,'' the DEA statement reads.

Despite Chong's shouts and his pounding and kicking on doors and walls in the holding cell, agents failed to realize they had forgotten about him until five days later, Chong told NBC San Diego.

He said he had to drink his own urine to stay alive, eventually began hallucinating and at one point tried to kill himself by breaking his glasses and using glass shards to cut his wrists.

Medics took Chong to a hospital, where he was admitted to an intensive-care unit and kept under physicians' care for several days, he said. Medical staffers told him he had nearly died of kidney failure, he told the station.

The Drug Enforcement Administration offered no explanation for how agents could have lost track of Chong and failed to hear his cries for help.

"DEA plans to thoroughly review both the events and detention procedures on April 21st and after,'' according to the prepared statement about the case.

ALSO:

At least 13 arrested in L.A. May Day protests

Yacht deaths: Boat may have hit rocks, not large ship

Octomom Nadya Suleman: 14 kids 'won't be homeless'

-- Fox5 San Diego

Couple get $6-million settlement in 2008 Santa Barbara County fire

Wed, 02 May 2012 08:18:06 -0700

A Santa Barbara couple seriously burned in a fast-moving brush fire in the hills above Montecito in 2008 have settled their lawsuit against a property owner for $6 million, according to their lawyer.

Lance and Carla Hoffman, both 29 at the time, suffered third-degree burns when they were overtaken by flames as they fled their rented house and tried to escape the Tea fire, dubbed for an adjacent property known as the Tea Garden.

Fire officials later determined a group of college students had sparked the blaze by setting a bonfire on the Tea Garden property on Nov. 12, 2008. Twelve hours later, the embers sparked a fire that destroyed 210 homes and injured 25 people, The Times reported at the time.

The couple’s lawsuit alleged the owner of the Tea Garden property, which had a number of abandoned structures and scenic views of the Santa Barbara coastline, knew or should have known that students and others had long gathered there to drink and build bonfires.

The Hoffmans have undergone “dozens of surgical procedures,” with others yet to come, and have racked up more than $4.6 million in medical bills, said David Nye, their Santa Barbara attorney.

The couple settled an earlier lawsuit against the owner of their rented home for $1 million and have another suit pending against 10 students alleged to have started the fire, Nye said.

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At least 13 arrested in L.A. May Day protests

Octomom Nadya Suleman: 14 kids 'won't be homeless'

Long Beach man accused of running sex trafficking ring

-- Kim Christensen

Photo: Brother Joseph Brown, of the Order of the Holy Cross Benedictine, stands among the rubble of the Mount Calvary Monastery after the 2008 Tea fire. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Long Beach man accused of running sex trafficking ring

Wed, 02 May 2012 07:45:07 -0700

A Long Beach man accused of using Craigslist and other websites to find women to lure into a lucrative prostitution ring has been arraigned in federal court on charges of sex trafficking, authorities said.

Authorities believe 36-year-old Roshaun "Kevin" Nakia Porter was forcing at least five young women into prostitution in Orange County, according to KTLA-TV. Santa Ana police say Porter would meet the women on Craigslist or other sites.

The women say they responded to Porter's ads and thought they were entering into a monogamous relationship with him. The women said after Porter maintained a romantic relationship with them, he forced them to work as prostitutes.

"Then it moved into where he was taking pictures of them, getting information about their families," said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department. "Then he became physically violent with them and started telling them basically what they were doing."

Police say Porter forced the women to stay at a hotel off the 55 Freeway. He would send them to a hotel in the middle of a business district in Santa Ana to meet with high-end clientele, KTLA-TV reported.

Authorities say Porter would charge $100 for 15 minutes and $300 for an hour. If the girls tried to leave, Porter would "physically assault them, threaten them with having pictures sent to family, family members being injured," Bertagna said.

Authorities say their investigation led them to the high-priced hookers through advertisements on BackPage.com, which also is how clients found them.

"They made an arrangement to meet a female [at a hotel], and that's where they made the first arrest," Bertagna said. "That led them to another arrest that night, and then five of the victims."

Detectives arrested Porter, and then brought in the FBI to handle it as a human trafficking case. Porter is being held without bail and is due back in court June 19. He was arraigned this week and faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

Investigators believe there may be other victims. Anyone with information may contact the FBI at (310) 477-6565 or the Santa Ana Police Department at (714) 245-8501.

ALSO:

At least 13 arrested in L.A. May Day protests

L.A. riots: Readers reflect on 'a twisted reality show'

May Day protests: Gathering at Pershing Square ends quietly

-- KTLA-TV

At least 13 arrested in L.A. May Day protests

Wed, 02 May 2012 07:10:21 -0700

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At least 13 people were arrested in May Day rallies in Los Angeles that snarled traffic and seemed to draw more police officers than protesters at times, authorities said Wednesday.

About 1,000 people participated in the rallies, which began with marches at various locations in the city and converged in downtown Los Angeles. Of the 13 arrested, 10 were demonstrators at Los Angeles International Airport who were protesting working conditions there, and three were downtown, according to KTLA-TV.

Protesters, many of them concealing their faces with bandannas, and Los Angeles Police Department officers clad in riot gear engaged in a running game of cat and mouse, as the crowd tried in vain to make its way around police blockades to City Hall and police headquarters.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

At dusk, a few hundred people regrouped several blocks south in Pershing Square for a meeting as police cruisers and a helicopter circled. The protesters had a city-issued permit to gather until 10 p.m.

Late Tuesday, the LAPD declared a citywide tactical alert, which allows the department to keep officers on duty past the end of their shift. Authorities would not say when they planned to disperse the crowd, but did say they would not allow the protest to continue all night.

By 10:30 p.m., most of the protesters had left Pershing Square.

Nancy Evans, 62, of Venice said she came downtown to bring attention to the need to create jobs. A former animator who grew angry watching jobs being outsourced to other countries, she stood at 6th Street and Broadway with a contingent of Occupy protesters.

"I can see why people think this is very fragmented," she said of the protests. "I thought there would be more of a focus on jobs."

Skirmishes similar to the ones in Los Angeles played out in the Bay Area as well. In San Francisco, a demonstration that started peacefully late Monday in Dolores Park ended with widespread vandalism as more than 100 masked protesters — dressed in black and gray and wielding crowbars and paintball guns — descended on a busy restaurant and retail stretch in the city's Mission district.

Vandals smashed windows, defaced cars and even attacked the neighborhood police station. In advance of a threatened strike by union workers, ferry service in the Bay Area was shut down for the Tuesday morning commute.

In Oakland, police used tear gas and arrested at least nine people for failing to disperse and violating stay-away orders issued by a judge.

The clashes were in stark contrast to what many demonstrators said they sought to bring about by protesting: more rights for all people, peace and income equality, among other causes.

"I want to see a world where there is a whole different value system, where we actually put people before profits," said Oakland protester Shaina Burnette, 31. "I would beg people who care about the future: It's a movement, and you have to show up."

Police put on riot gear as May Day protests converge

May Day protests: Demonstrators calm after clash with police

-- Rosanna Xia, Paloma Esquivel and Kate Linthicum

Myron Chisem, 42

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Myron Chisem, a 42-year-old black man, was shot and killed Wednesday, May 2, in the 19300 block of South Broadacres Avenue in Carson, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

The victim was a Navy veteran who had been an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent since 2007.

Chisem was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, which occurred shortly after 9 p.m. at his home, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Lt. Holly Francisco said Chisem's son, whose name hasn't been released, is alleged to have fired one shot from the backyard with his father's ICE-issued handgun.

The victim was in a TV room on the ground floor when he was wounded in the head, Francisco said.

The agent's girlfriend also lived at the house but was not there at the time of the shooting, authorities said.

The boy, who is 14, was apprehended and arrested in connection with his father's death.

He did not enter a plea to a murder charge at his initial juvenile court appearance May 7 and will face a May 21 hearing on his fitness to be tried as an adult.

Authorities say the boy was upset after clashing with his father over his school grades.

“There were some disciplinary issues in the house of which grades was one of them,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Todd Hicks told KTLA-TV.

The teenager called 911, but officials have not said if he told dispatchers that he had shot his father. Deputies found Chisem’s handgun in the front yard.

Longtime family friend Shawn Butler said last week that there “was never any indication” of trouble or tension between Chisem and his son, who moved in with him less than a year ago.

“They had a great relationship,” Butler said. “He was very proud of his son. He loved him very much.”

Anyone with additional details about the killing is asked to call the sheriff's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

—Kim Christensen and Matt Stevens

May Day protests: LAPD issues tactical alert

Tue, 01 May 2012 20:12:39 -0700

The Los Angeles Police Department on Tuesday issued a tactical alert as the May Day protests in downtown L.A. stretched into the evening.

Authorities have not said when they will disperse the crowd, but did say they will not allow the protest to continue all night.

A tactical alert allows the department to keep officers on past the end of their shift.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

"It increases our ability to deploy officers if the need breaks out," said Officer Karen Rayner, an LAPD spokeswoman.

At least 1,000 demonstrators, many from the Occupy movement, convened at Pershing Square on Tuesday evening to call for immigration reform and workers' rights.

That gathering came shortly after a tense standoff between police and Occupy protesters.

A police official said a female officer was struck in the head with a skateboard and taken to a hospital. The impact of the blow dented her helmet, the official said, but her injury appeared not to be life-threatening.

At least 13 arrests have been made throughout the demonstrations, 10 during a protest at Los Angeles International Airport and three in downtown L.A. Overall, however, officials said most of the thousands of protesters were nonviolent.

May Day protest: LAPD officer hit in head with skateboard

Oakland May Day protests: At least 9 arrested, tear gas fired

-- Angel Jennings

Photo: Kevin Carillo holds an American flag during a May Day protest in downtown Los Angeles. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

May Day protests: Demonstrators calm after clash with police

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:50:00 -0700

Hundreds of Occupy marchers peacefully convened Tuesday evening in Pershing Square, an hour after the May Day protest in downtown Los Angeles took a tense turn.

The mood was jovial as about 200 protesters listened to live music and watched performers. Earlier, police clashed with protesters at 4th and Hill streets, causing officers clad in riot gear to swarm the area.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

Angry protesters chanted with their fists in the air after officers refused to let them through a street that leads to the Civic Center. Almost 1,000 protesters marched uphill through the Financial District, looped through Bank of America Plaza and were trying to push their way back downhill when officers turned them away.

Officers issued a call for help at 4th and Hill about 4:20 p.m. when protesters, many from the Occupy movement, began circling officers and chanting, "We are the 99%." The crowd swelled as officers arrived by bicycle, motorcycle and on foot to quell the brewing confrontation.

The crowd quickly calmed down, and officials said most of the thousands of protesters throughout downtown were nonviolent.

After the clash, several Occupy leaders tried to regroup everyone. Shouting in microphones, they led the demonstrators back up Broadway to march in solidarity with Southern California Immigration Coalition.

Hugo Salinas of West Hollywood marched with SCIC earlier, but then joined Occupy protesters. He held a neon green sign that said "Immigration Reform Now."

For Salinas, the May Day protest is personal. The 25-year-old photographer emigrated from Mexico, and understands the plight immigrant workers face.

"I'm here for immigration rights, for equal rights for everyone, " he said. "My boyfriend is here with Occupy. We're all in this together."

Protesters grouped together for various reasons, including some Chinese and Chinatown demonstrators carrying signs that read, "Walmart destroys communities" -- a reference to the retail giant's proposed grocery store in Chinatown.

Bert Voorhees, an attorney and observer with the National Lawyers Guild, marched to Pershing Square with a group of protesters that began in Van Nuys. He joined a crowd of others at Broadway and Olympic Boulevard. He's unsure where the other protesters came from.

"It's complicated," Voorhees said when asked to describe where the march originated.

Representatives from the Lawyers Guild wanted to make sure the protesters' 1st Amendment rights were honored by law enforcement. At least 50 observers were sprinkled in the crowd wearing neon green hats.

An immigration reform group paused at 1st and Broadway streets, rallying around speakers on a parked truck. The group chanted for reform now and spoke of their disillusionment with President Obama's promises in 2008 for immigration reform.

As the sun set and the day cooled, the chanting continued. A group yelled in unison: "The people united will never be defeated."

May Day protest: LAPD officer hit in head with skateboard

Oakland May Day protests: At least 9 arrested, tear gas fired

-- Rosanna Xia, Sam Quinones and Paloma Esquivel

Photo: LAPD confronts protesters at Broadway and 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

Lawsuit accusing LAPD in killing of football player dismissed

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:03:58 -0700

A federal judge Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed against the LAPD by the family of former college football player Reginald Doucet Jr., who was shot to death last year during a confrontation with officers.

In dismissing the suit, U.S. District Court Judge Steven Wilson ruled that the LAPD was entitled to "qualified immunity," the legal principle that shields police in certain circumstances from being held responsible in civil lawsuits for their official actions.

Family attorney Brian T. Dunn, who argued that police used excessive force and violated Doucet's civil rights, said he planned to appeal the ruling.

“We respect the judge's decision," Dunn said Tuesday evening. "We respectfully disagree with it and we will do everything to test the reasoning of it with an appeal to the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals.”

The LAPD argued that its officers acted appropriately and that the case should be thrown out before trial given Doucet's "violent actions."

"Clearly our officers were acting in defense of their lives," LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith said.

Doucet, a former defensive back at El Camino College and Middle Tennessee State University, was fatally shot outside his Playa Vista condominium by LAPD officers on Jan. 11, 2011. Department officials described a "life or death struggle" between Doucet and the officers.

According to the department, the incident unfolded after police were summoned to the scene because Doucet was naked and had been arguing with a cab driver. Officers tried to calm Doucet, who was 6 foot tall and nearly 200 pounds.

Doucet then ran as the officers tried to apprehend him, police said. When officers caught up with Doucet in front of his home, they allege he "immediately attacked both officers," punching them in the face. They also allege he grabbed the handle of Officer Aaron Goff's gun and tried unsuccessfully to yank it out of its holster.

During the struggle, one of the officers then opened fire, striking Doucet twice. Doucet was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

-- Andrew Blankstein (Twitter.com/anblanx)

Police put on riot gear as May Day protests converge

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:30:55 -0700

Police in riot gear lined some streets of downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday evening as more than 1,000 immigrants rights protesters and Occupy activists converged in one big march.

The march on Broadway Avenue was organized by the Southern California Immigration Coalition and was permitted by police. It was made up mostly of students, who waved flags from Latin American countries and sang along to Spanish hip-hop songs pumped from speakers on the back of a flat-bed truck.

About 5 p.m., a group of Occupy activists joined their ranks after a day of their own marches in Los Angeles County. One immigration activist welcomed them with shouts of, "Woohoo, Occupy!"

PHOTOS: May Day protest

The largely peaceful protest took a tense turn when a female officer was struck in the head with a skateboard near 4th and Hill streets and taken to a hospital, according to a police official. The impact of the blow dented her helmet, the official said, but her injury appeared not to be life-threatening.

Overall, however, officials said most of the thousands of protesters who took to the streets Tuesday were nonviolent.

Occupy protesters said they planned to converge at Pershing Square for a general assembly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Protester Ruth Fowler said the group did not plan to march to City Hall, where, earlier in the evening, dozens of officers were standing guard.

"We've been there," Fowler said. "We don't need to go back."

May Day observer at Olvera Street: 'I'm a little underwhelmed'

North, East and West legs of Occupy-led protest converge downtown

-- Kate Linthicum, Rosanna Xia and Andrew Blankstein

Photos: Brian Mac waves a flag during the May Day demonstration along Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. Credit: Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times; Below: Protesters doing Yoga on 5th Street. Credit: Paloma Esquivel / Los Angeles Times.

Oakland May Day protests: At least 9 arrested, tear gas fired

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:26:42 -0700

Oakland police said Tuesday afternoon that they had arrested at least nine May Day demonstrators on suspicion of interfering with officers, failing to disperse and violating stay-away orders issued by a judge in the wake of January protests related to the Occupy movement.

More than 400 demonstrators converged on Frank Ogawa Plaza near City Hall by midday Tuesday to listen to speakers and call for the end to economic injustice at a gathering dominated by sympathizers of the Occupy movement.

Though the event was largely peaceful, police made four arrests after 12 p.m., when an unruly crowd threw objects and struck officers with corrugated metal shields as they attempted to detain a protester.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

Police confirmed that they used "small amounts of gas" three times during the melee "to disperse the specific small groups of people who were committing the violent acts." One officer was doused in yellow paint, kicked in the ribs and hit with a metal paint canister, he said.

About 2 p.m. demonstrators again sought to interfere as officers moved to arrest isolated protesters, police said. The gathering was declared an illegal assembly at 2:40 p.m. and at least five more arrests followed, officials said.

A local CBS news van had its windshield smashed and tires slashed, and a police van was also vandalized, officials said.

Police Chief Howard Jordan said at an afternoon news briefing that there had been other "minor acts of vandalism and graffiti" in downtown Oakland, including at a Bank of America branch near Lake Merritt that boarded up and closed for the day after demonstrators converged there.

More than 5,000 people were expected to gather in the plaza beginning at 6 p.m., and officers from other departments that provide Oakland with mutual aid were standing by to assist, a spokeswoman said.

Of the hundreds who turned up for the day’s events, the vast majority were peaceful. Shaina Burnette, 31, brought her 2-year-old son, Gaian, whose stroller was adorned with signs that delivered a message on his behalf: "Dear Corporate State, Can you please spare some clean air, water and food for my generation? Maybe a couple schools? Animal species? Trees? PLEASE…"

"I want to see a world where there is a whole different value system, where we actually put people before profits," Burnette said as she fed her son a strawberry. "The commons are disappearing like this," she said, referring to shared environmental resources and snapping her fingers. "It’s appalling and it’s depressing and it’s scary."

Occupy "isn’t perfect," Burnette conceded, noting that vandalism by a few can dominate the message. But she said that’s all the more reason for people to raise their voices.

"I would beg people who care about the future: It’s a movement, and you have to show up."

Monitor dismayed by Oakland police's Occupy response

May Day protests: Skirmishes, tear gas, arrests in Oakland

-- Lee Romney in Oakland

Photo: Oakland police officers push back Occupy protesters attempting to block a street. Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Teacher exchanged sex messages, images with student, police say

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:14:28 -0700

Authorities allege that a substitute teacher in La Mirada exchanged sexually graphic images online, sent sexually oriented text messages and conducted live chats with a female student.

Taylor Welch, 22, was taken into custody by detectives with the Los Angeles County sheriff's Special Victims Unit. He is accused of Inappropriately touching the 13-year-old alleged victim in the classroom.

Welch was a substitute teacher at Arlee F. Hutchinson Middle School, which is part of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District. He was being held in lieu of $140,000 bail.

Welch met the girl in the classroom and then connected with her through Facebook in December 2011. A friendship developed, allegedly leading to the unlawful exchange of sexually graphic photographs, live video feeds and sexting messages between the suspect and the child, sheriff's Sgt. Dan Scott said.

Investigators learned of the alleged abuse when the victim showed photographs of the suspect, which were stored on her cellphone, to a friend. This led to a parent reporting the matter to school authorities who notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Welch was arrested on suspicion of felony lewd acts upon a child and distributing obscene material to a minor.

School district officials said they were notified Tuesday morning of Welch’s arrest and were cooperating with the investigation at Hutchinson Middle School.

“This substitute teacher has not worked in any other school in the district,” Norwalk-La Mirada Unified officials said in a statement.

Welch is the second substitute teacher in the district to be arrested this year. In March, Ted Nishihara was arrested on suspicion of molesting a student in a classroom at Los Coyotes Middle School.

Scott said detectives believe it is possible there are additional victims and urge anyone who may have been a victim to contact investigators. If you have any information concerning the suspect please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau at 1-877-710-5273 (LASD) or specialvictims@lasd.org

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'Octomom' Nadya Suleman: I've hit 'rock bottom'

Yacht deaths: Boat may have hit rocks, not large ship

Human error, poor planning contributed to September blackout, report finds

-- Richard Winton

Photo Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department booking photo

May Day protest: LAPD officer hit in head with skateboard

Tue, 01 May 2012 17:22:16 -0700

A largely peaceful May Day protest in downtown Los Angeles turned tense on Tuesday evening as police clashed with protesters.

The incident occurred near 4th and Hill streets when some protesters appeared to swarm a smaller number of LAPD officers, who in turn called for backup.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

Overall, however, officials said most of the thousands of protesters were nonviolent.

Angry protesters chanted with their fists in the air after officers refused to let them through a street that leads to the Civic Center. Almost 1,000 protesters marched uphill through the Financial District, looped through Bank of America and were trying to push their way back downhill when officers turned them away.

Officers issued a call for help at 4th and Hill streets at about 4:20 p.m. when protesters, many from the Occupy movement, began circling officers and chanting, "We are the 99%." The crowd swelled as officers arrived by bicycle, motorcycle and on foot to quell the brewing confrontation.

The crowd quickly calmed down.

“I think this is the end,” said Timothy Murphy, 29, of Pasadena, who met up with the East caravan of the Occupy movement earlier.

“It was a beautiful march until on our way back down,” he said.

Another skirmish was reported at the corner of Olympic Boulevard 9th Street.

LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith said he was not aware of any arrests in downtown L.A.

Traffic is expected to remain jammed in parts of downtown through the evening, with many streets subject to closure.

May Day protests marred by vandalism in San Francisco

May Day observer at Olvera Street: 'I'm a little underwhelmed'

North, East and West legs of Occupy-led protest converge downtown

-- Rosanna Xia and Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Brian Mac waves a flag during an immigration reform and nonviolence protest in downtown Los Angeles on May 1, 2012. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

Assemblyman Roger Hernandez charged with drunken driving

Tue, 01 May 2012 17:18:01 -0700

Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina) has been charged with drunken driving stemming from his March arrest in Concord, Calif., officials said Tuesday.

Hernandez faces two misdemeanor charges that were filed Monday by the Contra Costa County district attorney. He is scheduled for a court hearing May 21, said Bobbi Spinola, an assistant to the district attorney.

Hernandez was arrested March 27 at 2 a.m. after police officers saw the state car he was driving weaving between lanes. At the time, he refused to submit to a breathalyzer test at the scene, but a blood test was taken at the jail. The results showed he was over the legal limit for alcohol in his blood.

Hernandez apologized last week for the incident, calling the results of the blood-alcohol test "a huge wake-up call for me. I may have made a poor judgment thinking that I was sober enough to drive after a couple of drinks over the course of an evening. Had I thought I was mentally or physically impaired to drive, I would not have gone behind the wheel of a car."

"I offer my sincerest apologies to the constituents that I serve in the 57th Assembly District, to my family, colleagues, and staff for any embarrassment I may have caused,’’ he said.

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``Man up'' on budget, governor tells lawmakers

Assemblyman Hernandez was driving a state car when arrested

State ethics czar wants disclosure when campaigns pay bloggers

-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento

Photo: Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina).

Entire city of Seal Beach called a victim in mass killing

Tue, 01 May 2012 17:02:29 -0700

In court papers filed this week, prosecutors said that if former tugboat crewman Scott Dekraai is convicted in the slayings, they will present “victim impact” evidence on behalf of the entire city to show that the mid-day shooting had a lasting effect on the city.

Assistant Dist. Atty. Dan Wagner said in court filings that Dekraai, 42, exhibited a “high degree of cruelty, viciousness and callousness,” when he allegedly walked into Salon Meritage and shot and killed his ex-wife and seven others. He's also accused of wounding a ninth person.

Dekraai has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of murder and a single count of attempted murder.

Wagner said in the document that the victims were “particularly vulnerable” when they were shot "execution-style" at close range. The shooting, the prosecutor said, was carried out with “planning, sophistication and professionalism” by Dekraai, who wore a bulletproof vest during the rampage.

Wagner said in the document that he would also argue that the harm done by the crimes affected not only victim’s families but survivors, witnesses (including first responders) and the entire community.

Dekraai has a history of alleged criminal activity involving the “use or attempted use of force or violence,” the prosecutor said.

He also cited nine incidents involving Dekraai, including a 1995 crime in which he allegedly slammed his girlfriend’s head against a car, causing a concussion. One of the incidents involved Michelle Fournier, his ex-wife.

In 2004, Dekraai allegedly “waved a gun at his wife and threatened to kill her if she did not leave the house,” according to the document.

Fournier, 48, was the first one killed in the 10-minute salon shooting.

ALSO:

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman: I've hit 'rock bottom'

Yacht deaths: Boat may have hit rocks, not large ship

Human error, poor planning contributed to September blackout, report finds

-- Nicole Santa Cruz

Photo: Members of the Beach Futbol team gather during one of the city's memorials following the shooting. One of the victim's daughter played with the soccer club. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / The Times.

May Day protests: Skirmishes, tear gas, arrests in Oakland

Tue, 01 May 2012 16:24:19 -0700

Four people were arrested Tuesday afternoon in Oakland when May Day protesters skirmished with police officers.

A crowd of demonstrators that had gathered at Frank Ogawa Plaza surrounded Oakland Police Department officers as the officers tried to make an arrest. About 12:40 p.m., at least one protester threw bottles and at least one metal paint can at officers who formed a line to hold back the crowd.

One officer, who asked not to be named, was splashed in yellow paint and kicked in the ribs as he sought to arrest a protester whom officers said had rushed the police line.

Officers ordered the crowd to disperse, and when they did not, they fired tear gas into the air.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

The Oakland Police Department "is focused on preventing illegal activity while affording the majority their rights to assemble and march," according to a department news release.

Separately, CBS reporter Doug Souvern tweeted that protesters attacked and dismantled one of his station's news vans.

About 400 people gathered in Oakland's City Hall plaza at midday Tuesday to reiterate their commitment to confronting social inequality and police aggression, in a sign that the ideals of the Occupy movement still resonate.

Some demonstrators wore face coverings and carried shields crafted from plastic garbage cans. Others identified themselves with crosses of red tape as medics in the event of clashes with police.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles hundreds of marchers moved downtown on Broadway to the Civic Center in what police called a peaceful protest. More demonstrators are scheduled to converge with them this afternoon from other parts of the city.

There were some tense moments on Hill Street when police and protesters came together. No arrests were made.

In San Francisco, May Day protests began early, as a demonstration that started peacefully in Dolores Park on Monday night ended with widespread vandalism.

More than 100 masked protesters -- dressed in black and gray and wielding crowbars and paintball guns -- descended on a busy restaurant and retail stretch in the city’s Mission district. Vandals smashed windows, defaced cars and attacked the neighborhood police station.

On Tuesday, a glass crew was parked outside the Mission district police station, and Jeffrey Garcia was inside filing a police report about damage to his two vehicles. His Volkswagen Passat and Chevrolet pickup had been parked on Valencia Street as he had dinner at a nearby restaurant.

“I heard the noise, and the next thing I know, I come out and bang!” said Garcia, who provides battery service for a towing company. Vandals had slashed all four tires on his Passat, keyed the shiny black car and sprayed it with red paint. His pickup was also keyed.

May Day protests marred by vandalism in San Francisco

May Day observer at Olvera Street: 'I'm a little underwhelmed'

North, East and West legs of Occupy-led protest converge downtown

-- Lee Romney in Oakland, Maria L. LaGanga in San Francisco, and Angel Jennings and Rosanna Xia in Los Angeles

Photo: Oakland police officers push back Occupy protesters attempting to block a street. Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Ralphs supermarkets fined over pricing discrepancies

Tue, 01 May 2012 16:01:46 -0700

A Riverside County judge has ordered Ralphs and its parent company, Ohio-based Kroger Co., to pay $300,000 in penalties for selling frozen dairy desserts and other items with inaccurate prices and labeling.

State inspectors, responding to a consumer complaint, in 2009 found that several flavors of Ralphs and Kroger brand Frozen Dairy Dessert had up to 15% less volume than advertised. A year later, state inspectors found that Ralphs stores were not accurately advertising unit prices on a number of products, according to the Riverside County district attorney’s office.

Unit prices are often listed on shelf tags in the store and allow consumers to compare different brands by price per ounce or other measures.

Judge Gloria Trask on April 27 issued an injunction requiring all Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores in Riverside County to hire a “pricing integrity coordinator” for each store to ensure that information on store shelf tags was accurate.

The judge also ordered the grocery companies to pay $190,386 in civil fines and $50,000 in reimbursements to investigative agencies, according to a statement by Dist. Atty. Paul Zellerbach.

Because identifying consumers affected by the mislabeling was impractical, the judge ordered the companies to pay $50,000 in restitution to the local Second Harvest Food Bank.

Company spokeswoman Kendra Doyel said in an email statement that Kroger, Ralphs and its affiliates are "committed to complying with all laws," adding, "We strictly monitor Weights and Measures compliance. We made the business decision to resolve this, enabling us to move forward."

ALSO:

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman: I've hit 'rock bottom'

Stepdad held boy's head underwater during swim lesson, police say

Human error, poor planning contributed to September blackout, report finds

-- Phil Willon in Riverside

DWP supervisor was on duty when accused of drunk driving

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:47:41 -0700

A supervisor at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was on duty the day he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after his city truck struck three parked cars, officials said Tuesday.

Isaac Chavez, 43, has been placed on administrative leave without pay in the wake of his arrest, said DWP spokesman Joseph Ramallo, who added that the utility is conducting a “full investigation” of the incident.

"We take these matters very seriously,” Ramallo said in an e-mail. “We are conducting a full investigation into this matter and will take appropriate action when the investigation is complete."

Chavez, an electric distribution mechanic supervisor, was arrested in Van Nuys on April 25 after his DWP truck struck three vehicles parked on Kester Avenue. He was charged Monday with drunk driving.

Prosecutors said he had two open containers of what appeared to be vodka in his DWP truck at the time of the accident.

Chavez was booked at the Van Nuys jail and released on $15,000 bail. He did not respond to a request for comment.

ALSO:

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman: I've hit 'rock bottom'

Stepdad held boy's head underwater during swim lesson, police say

Human error, poor planning contributed to September blackout, report finds

-- David Zahniser at Los Angeles City Hall

May Day onlooker at Olvera Street: 'I'm a little underwhelmed'

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:16:41 -0700

Arriving by subway, light rail and auto from the San Fernando Valley and Pasadena, about 300 Occupy demonstrators gathered near Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday before heading to the main staging area at Sixth and Main streets for a May Day rally.

The two groups, calling themselves the North and East winds, milled about in front of the plaza, holding signs protesting everything from the state of healthcare to terrorism.

Melonie Magruder, 54, a freelance journalist from North Hollywood, carried a skeleton with a sign declaring, "Dying for Health Insurance."

Drummers provided background music. Some people wearing neon green baseball caps said they were there as observers for the National Lawyers Guild to make sure law enforcement respected everyone's 1st Amendment rights.

Los Angeles police officers, standing a few feet apart, lined the streets around the Civic Center, outnumbering protestors.

“I'm a little underwhelmed. I wish there were more people," said Carlos Larios, 28, a sales manager from Alhambra who was downtown for an appointment. "I think it’s a good cause. They just need a P.R. firm to get more people.”

ALSO:

In Oakland, 400 stage May Day rally at City Hall

May Day protests 'festive' at Olympic and Broadway

LAX workers hold May Day protest amid heightened security

-- Rosanna Xia at Olvera Street

May Day protests marred by vandalism in San Francisco

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:06:16 -0700

May Day demonstrations were marred by vandalism in San Francisco, while other demonstrations in California were largely peaceful.

Protesters were converging on downtown Los Angeles for a march and rally this afternoon near City Hall. The march is expected to jam the afternoon commute, with numerous streets scheduled to be blocked off until at least 7 p.m.

Hundreds of demonstrators from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, the Party of Socialism and Liberation and the Latino health activist group Bienestar gathered at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Broadway about 1 p.m. to rally and begin marching to Pershing Square, where a larger rally was planned.

Thousands of protesters were expected to participate in May Day rallies across Los Angeles to register their views on a variety of issues, including fair labor practices, immigration and income inequality.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

Police said the group at Olympic and Broadway had not caused any problems.

“It’s festive,” LAPD Officer Sara Faden said over salsa music blasting from a truck.

In a sign that the ideals of the Occupy movement still resonate, in Oakland about 400 people gathered at City Hall plaza at midday to reiterate their commitment to confronting social inequality and police aggression.

Some demonstrators wore face coverings and carried shields crafted from plastic garbage cans. Others identified themselves as medics, with crosses of red tape, in the event of clashes with police.

A small skirmish broke out between some protesters and riot-gear-clad officers. About 12:40 p.m., at least one protester threw bottles and at least one metal paint can at officers who formed a line to hold back the crowd.

One officer, who asked not to be named, was splashed with yellow paint and kicked in the ribs as he sought to arrest a protester who officers said had rushed the police line.

Separately, CBS reporter Doug Souvern tweeted that protesters attacked and dismantled one of his station's news vans.

In San Francisco, May Day protests began early, as a demonstration that started peacefully in Dolores Park on Monday night ended with widespread vandalism.

On Tuesday, a glass crew was parked outside of the Mission district police station, and Jeffrey Garcia was inside filing a police report about damage to his two vehicles. His Volkswagen Passat and Chevrolet pickup had been parked on Valencia Street while he had dinner at a nearby restaurant.

He was at a loss to explain the vandalism and the protesters.

“We work 20 hours a day, and they have nothing to do,” he said. “I don’t know. It’s just crazy.”

Brittney Nicolulis, manager at a home furnishing boutique on Valencia Street called Therapy Home, said she and her colleagues heard a rumbling about 9 p.m. Monday and looked out the window to investigate.

“Our first assumption was peace marchers,” said Nicolulis. “We get those all the time. We ran to the door and heard smashing and gunshots and sounds that were not about peace.”

Nicolulis, who was with her colleagues at Therapy’s clothing store next door, took shelter behind the cash register as vandals smashed windows at both stores.

“They came really fast and left really fast,” she said, “like a hurricane. It was really scary. It felt apocalyptic and primal. We keep hearing this was Occupy Wall Street and against the corporations. But this is a locally owned business. You’re not putting any corporation out. We’re the little guys. Everyone I talk to, nobody gets it.”

A police source said there was one arrest.

Tuesday saw wider disruption in San Francisco but far less damage.

In advance of a threatened strike by union workers, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District decided to shut down ferry service for the Tuesday morning commute. Service resumed as normal in the afternoon.

Hundreds of demonstrators snarled traffic on busy Market Street during a lunchtime demonstration, chanting union slogans and “We are the 99,” performing street theater and painting an outsized yellow and red “Rise up 99%” sign on Montgomery Street in the middle of the Financial district.

Ismael Lara, a Financial district janitor, joined the protest Tuesday because his contract is slated to expire in July and his company is asking for deep concessions from its workers.

“Hopefully we’ll get a little bit of money, and benefits will stay the same,” said Lara, who marched with his wife. “They want us to pay for some of our health insurance.”

By the time the demonstration began to dissipate and move west on Market Street just before 2 p.m., police said there had been no arrests.

ALSO:

3 tons of key methamphetamine ingredient seized at LAX

La Mirada teacher arrested on suspicion of lewd acts with teen

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman: I've hit 'rock bottom' with bankruptcy

-- Maria L. Langa in San Francisco, Lee Romney in Oakland, Sam Quinones, Matt Stevens, Rosanna Xia, Paloma Esquivel, Andrew Blankstein and Betina Boxall in Los Angeles.

Photo: Dozens of people begin to gather at the intersection of Olympic and Broadway in downtown L.A. as some carry a banner featuring labor icon Cesar Chavez before a May Day march. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Alleged accomplice of teen killed by Pasadena police sentenced

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:35:13 -0700

A 17-year-old accused of participating in a Pasadena burglary that ended in the fatal police shooting of his alleged accomplice confessed to the charges against him Tuesday and received a six-month sentence, officials said.

The minor, who was not identified because of his age, appeared before Pasadena Juvenile Court Commissioner Robert Leventer and was sentenced to six months in camp community placement.

His alleged cohort was 19-year-old Kendrec McDade, who was fatally shot by police who thought he was armed because the theft victim falsely reported he had a gun.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Anna Phillips said the minor admitted to the two felony counts of commercial burglary, one felony count of grand theft and one misdemeanor count of failing to register as a gang member.

Prosecutors claim the boy burglarized a taco shop and stole a laptop computer from a car in Pasadena on March 24. The car’s owner called Pasadena police and reported he had been robbed at gunpoint.

McDade was shot a few blocks away on a dark street by an officer seated in a police car with another chasing McDade on foot. Police said McDade had his hand in his waist, and they feared he was about to fire a weapon.

McDade's family has sued the city for allegedly violating his civil rights.

Oscar Carrillo, the 911 caller, was subsequently arrested for involuntary manslaughter for making the false statement that McDade had a gun. Prosecutors have yet to decide what charges to file against Carrillo.

ALSO:

May Day protests 'festive' at Olympic and Broadway

L.A. County authorities warn against flying kites near airports

Teen mom convicted of stabbing newborn, hiding corpse in closet

-- Richard Winton

What questions should we ask L.A. district attorney candidates?

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:18:54 -0700

What questions do you want to ask the candidates for L.A. district attorney?

As the election season heats up, most of the candidates for the job of Los Angeles County district attorney have agreed to attend a forum this week to discuss the issues.

It will take place at The Times at 11 a.m. on Wednesday and is scheduled to feature City Atty. Carmen Trutanich, Deputy Dist. Atty. Danette Meyers, Deputy Dist. Atty. John Breault III, gang homicide prosecutor Alan Jackson and Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey.

Times editor-at-large Jim Newton will moderate the discussion and would welcome suggestions on what you'd like to hear from these candidates.

Please send us your questions for the candidates. Submit them below.

ALSO:

VIDEO: The D.A. candidates on realignment and the death penalty

Photos, from top: Los Angeles Times entrance; Times editor-at-large Jim Newton. Credit: Los Angeles Times

May Day protests 'festive' at Olympic and Broadway

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:13:13 -0700

Police officers and street vendors seemed to outnumber protesters at a May Day march and rally Tuesday afternoon at Olympic Boulevard and South Broadway in downtown L.A.

Hundreds of demonstrators from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, the Party of Socialism and Liberation and the Latino health activist group Bienestar gathered at the intersection about 1 p.m. to rally and begin marching to Pershing Square, where a larger rally was planned.

PHOTOS: May Day protest

Police said the group at Olympic and Broadway had not caused any problems.

“It’s festive,” LAPD Officer Sara Faden said over salsa music blasting from atop a truck bed.

Authorities said they expected buses to transport more people to the intersection shortly, and they anticipated the crowd would grow.

In the meantime, street vendors who had set up for the expected large crowds were struggling.

“There’s no one here. People haven’t come,” said Marta Arevalo, who was selling slices of coconut. “But the music’s good.”

ALSO:

May Day rally: A quiet morning at Olympic and Broadway

LAX workers hold May Day protest amid heightened security

May Day protests: Arrests planned at LAX; Occupy march underway

-- Sam Quinones

Photo: A banner reading "Legalization Now! Immigration Reform, Good Jobs and Education for All " lies across Broadway before the start of a May Day march in downtown Los Angeles. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

L.A. County authorities warn against flying kites near airports

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:12:05 -0700

Go fly a kite? Apparently not if you do it in Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas, which is adjacent to the Brackett Field airport.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies assigned to the department's Parks Bureau issued a warning to an unidentified man Sunday after his kite was seen about 500 feet over the north end of the park, said Sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker.

Sheriff's officials said the area has signs saying "No Kite Flying." The man told deputies that he did not see the signs and was let off with a warning.

Parker said that while most people comply with the signs, the incident provided an opportunity to educate people on the dangers of flying kites near airports.

Under federal regulations passed in 1963, moored balloons and kites cannot be flown within five miles of an airport or more than 500 feet off the ground. The rules do not apply to balloons or kites that are flown below the top a building.

ALSO:

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman files for personal bankruptcy

May Day protests: Thousands to participate in rallies across L.A.

Human error, poor planning contributed to blackout, report concludes

-- Andrew Blankstein
twitter.com/anblanx

Photo: Kite flying is not allowed at Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas, which is adjacent to the Brackett Field airport. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Teen mom convicted of stabbing newborn, hiding corpse in closet

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:05:29 -0700

A teenage mother was convicted Tuesday of stabbing her newborn daughter to death and hiding the corpse in a closet, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office.

Yoselin Torres Tovar, 20, of Fullerton pleaded guilty on the second day of jury trial to one felony count of second-degree murder with a sentencing enhancement and faces 16 years to life in state prison.

Prosecutors say Tovar gave birth to the girl in April 2010 in the bathroom of her family’s home and stabbed the newborn multiple times. Tovar wrapped the baby’s body and placed her in a bedroom closet.

Authorities say Tovar’s family was not aware she was pregnant and took her to a hospital when they saw blood on the teen.

Doctors examined Tovar, determined she had just given birth and alerted police, who discovered the corpse of the newborn in the closet later that night. Tovar’s sentencing is scheduled June 1.

ALSO:

Human error, poor planning contributed to blackout, report finds

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman: I've hit 'rock bottom' with bankruptcy

Stepdad held boy's head underwater during swim lesson, police say

-- Matt Stevens

Twitter.com/mattstevenslat

Photo: Yoselin Torres Tovar. Credit: KTLA-TV

3 tons of key methamphetamine ingredient seized at LAX

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:52:08 -0700

Federal agents at LAX seized nearly 3 tons of a key ingredient of methamphetamine that was bound for central Mexico, officials said Tuesday.

The two shipments of methylamine chloride, a controlled substance used in the manufacture of pesticides, solvents and pharmaceutical products, originated in China. They were accurately labeled but lacked the required paperwork from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

“It raised a bunch of red flags,” said Jaime Ruiz, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “It was huge. They didn’t have any permits.”

Testing confirmed the contents of the 80 plastic bags stacked on pallets, which arrived in LAX air cargo April 19 and 23. If used to make meth, it had a street value of $40 million, authorities said.

Border agents are seeing more air and sea shipments of the chemical, as opposed to land smuggling.

“Now it seems like the cartels are using other methods,” said Ruiz, adding that the 5,700-pound seizure of methylamine chloride is “one of the biggest so far out of LAX.”

Corrosive and flammable, the white powdery substance is also used to make the drug ecstasy.

ALSO:

May Day protests: Thousands to participate in rallies across L.A.

Human error, poor planning contributed to blackout, report finds

Stepdad held boy's head underwater during swim lesson, police say

-- Bettina Boxall

Photo: Federal officers seized bags containing 5,700 pounds of methylamine chloride, a chemical used to make methamphetamine. Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

California's biggest pension -- $540,000 -- likely to be cut

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:30:16 -0700

State pension officials said they will probably move to cut California's biggest public pension -- and others -- after finding that the city of Vernon improperly boosted the benefits of nearly two dozen employees.

The CalPERS audit will be released Tuesday, nearly two years after The Times reported on the lucrative pensions awarded to top officials in Vernon, including some who had been charged with public corruption. The state's highest public pension -- roughly $540,000 a year -- is now received by a former Vernon city administrator, Bruce Malkenhorst, who pleaded guilty to misappropriation of public funds last year.

California Public Employees' Retirement System auditors found problems with Malkenhorst's pension as well as with those of former City Administrator Eric T. Fresch and former Mayor Leonis Malburg. The retirement fund alleged that Vernon failed to notify it after Malburg was convicted of perjury in 2009, something that could reduce his total benefits.

Retirement officials are still working to calculate by how much the officials' benefits should be slashed.

Fresch and other staff attorneys in Vernon were classified as qualifying for "public safety" retirement benefits in 2004, with city officials telling CalPERS that the lawyers were "primarily engaged in the active enforcement of criminal laws."

But The Times could find no evidence that the staff attorneys ever prosecuted criminal cases. In fact, former Vernon Police Chief Sol Benudiz said he could not recall a single instance when Vernon's city attorneys appeared in criminal court. He said those cases were always handled by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

CalPERS initially approved the special pensions even though such benefits are typically reserved for those whose jobs put their lives in danger. Not even district attorneys are granted the benefits, which could have boosted Vernon's attorneys' pensions about 10%, experts said. After The Times reported on the safety pensions, CalPERS said it would review the matter.

"This audit raises serious concerns about Vernon's reporting to CalPERS and its decisions about pension benefits for its employees," CalPERS Chief Executive Anne Stausboll said in a statement. The system also said it would reclassify the attorneys to a lower benefit formula.

In its formal response to the audit, Vernon objected to some of the findings but acknowledged "a number of issues that need correction."

The full CalPERS report lists 10 key findings, including incorrect reporting of the compensation of City Council members and failure to provide sufficient documentation of pay increases. Most of the problems pertain to top officials in the industrial city, which is just south of downtown Los Angeles.

The audit said Vernon failed to substantiate the number of hours worked by Malkenhorst, who at one point held 10 different positions in city government and earned as much as $911,000 in 2006.

It also questioned the city's decision to sharply increase Malkenhorst's pay up until 2002, three years before he retired. By leveling off his pay, the city may have shielded Malkenhorst from a government code section prohibiting steep salary increases before retirement, officials said.

Brad Pacheco, a spokesman for CalPERS, said the fund was not sure yet by how much Malkenhorst's pension would be reduced. He also noted that if a reduction is made, Malkenhorst has the right to appeal.

The audit also concluded that Vernon awarded 16 years of service credit to Fresch for time when he was an outside contractor and not an eligible employee. Those credits can be extremely valuable because they are used to calculate the total benefits an employee receives upon retirement.

ALSO:

May Day: Thousands to participate in rallies across L.A.

Man arrested on suspicion of trying to 'sacrifice' son at cemetery

Police rule out foul play in death of woman found in Malibu home

-- Sam Allen

Photo: Former Vernon official Bruce Malkenhorst, who pleaded guilty to misappropriation of public funds last year, receives a pension of roughly $540,000 a year. Credit: City of Vernon

'Octomom' Nadya Suleman: I've hit 'rock bottom' with bankruptcy

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:08:07 -0700

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"Octomom" Nadya Suleman said her bankruptcy filing and possible eviction have left her and her children at "rock bottom.

"I don't think you can get farther, deeper down into the rock bottom than we are at this point,” Suleman told HLN in an interview. “[My kids] are healthy [and] safe. They don't feel it. I do. All the weight is on my shoulders … we cannot afford our home at this present time.”

In filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in Orange County Superior Court on Monday, Suleman said in court papers that her debts could approach $1 million.

In court documents reviewed by the Orange County Register, Suleman said she had $50,000 in assets and up to $1 million in debts. She reported she owes more than $30,000 in back payments on her home.

Her La Habra home could be auctioned off and Suleman and her 14 children, including the octuplets for whom she received her nickname, could face eviction if the house is sold.

ALSO:

May Day marches will jam L.A.'s morning commute

Bloody note found next to body of stabbed 9-year-old girl

L.A. riots: Victims killed defending businesses, in random attacks

-- A Times staff writer

La Mirada teacher arrested on suspicion of lewd acts with teen

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:43:34 -0700

A substitute teacher at a La Mirada middle school was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of lewd acts and sending explicit material to a a teenage girl he met on campus.

Taylor Welch, 22, was taken into custody by detectives with the Los Angeles County Special Victims Unit.

Welch was a substitute teacher at Arlee F. Hutchinson Middle School, which is part of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District. He was being held in lieu of $140,000 bail.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, Welch allegedly became friends online with the girl, whom he met at the school. Welch then allegedly began exchanging messages and images with her.

Those images eventually includes naked photographs, the sources said.

School district officials said they were notified Tuesday morning of Welch’s arrest and were cooperating with the investigation at Hutchinson Middle School.

“This substitute teacher has not worked in any other school in the district,” Norwalk-La Mirada Unified officials said in a statement.

Welch is the second substitute teacher in the school district to be arrested this year. In March, Ted Nishihara was arrested on suspicion of molesting a student in a classroom at Los Coyotes Middle School.

ALSO:

May Day protests: Thousands to participate in rallies across L.A.

Man arrested on suspicion of trying to 'sacrifice' son at cemetery

Stepdad held boy's head underwater during swim lesson, police say

-- Richard Winton

Drunk-driving charges filed against DWP supervisor

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:36:23 -0700

Los Angeles prosecutors filed drunk-driving charges Monday against a Department of Water and Power supervisor suspected of crashing his city vehicle into three cars while intoxicated, officials said.

Isaac Chavez, 43, was arrested April 25 in Van Nuys after his DWP truck hit cars parked on Kester Avenue, said William Carter, chief deputy to City Attorney Carmen Trutanich.

Chavez had two open containers of what appeared to be vodka in the truck, Carter said.

Chavez, a resident of Palmdale, was booked at the Van Nuys jail and released on $15,000 bail. He has a hearing scheduled for May 17.

ALSO:

May Day: Thousands to participate in rallies across L.A.

Man arrested, allegedly tried to 'sacrifice' son at cemetery

Police rule out foul play in death of woman found in Malibu home

-- David Zahniser at Los Angeles City Hall

Greg Hudson, 47

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:14:25 -0700

Greg Hudson, a 47-year-old black man, died Tuesday, April 24, four months after he was shot in the 500 block of West 65th Street in Vermont-Slauson, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

LAPD Criminal Gang and Homicide Det. Young Mun, who is handling the case, said Hudson was shot Dec. 14.

It's believed the alleged assailant was in a car, got out, walked up to Hudson and shot him. After the incident, the shooter got back into the vehicle and fled, officials said.

Hudson was struck several times in the torso. After the incident, he was taken to California Hospital Medical Center where he remained until his death April 24 at 8:21 p.m.

Det. Mun said even though the victim was in and out of a coma, he was able to speak with the initial investigators about the shooting.

The shooter and getaway driver were described as black males. The incident is not believe to be gang-related.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to contact Det. Mun at (213) 485-1383. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

Jose Argueta, 40 [Update]

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:14:25 -0700

Jose Argueta, a 40-year-old Latino, died Wednesday, April 25, twenty three years after he was shot near Griffin Avenue and Baldwin Street in Lincoln Heights, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office, said Argueta sustained a gunshot wound to the neck in 1989 and became a quadriplegic.

The victim died from complications from the gunshot wound at his home in Los Angeles, Winter said.

[Updated May 3: LAPD Hollenbeck Det. Carey Ricard said Argueta was injured in a gang-related shooting when he was a teenager. Another person was also shot, but died a day after the incident.

The shooter was apprehended and convicted on one count of murder and another count of attempted murder. He was sentenced to 27 years to life in state prison where he currently remains, Ricard said.

Since Argueta died from a bladder infection, it's still unknown if authorities will charge the incarcerated shooter with his death as well, Ricard said.]

Anyone with information about the shooting or death is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at (877) 527-3247. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

Yoani Flores, 20

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:14:25 -0700

Yoani Flores, a 20-year-old Latino, died Wednesday, April 25, eleven days after he was stabbed in the 1500 block of Pacific Avenue in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Flores was in an alley with an acquaintance on April 14 when the two got into a fight, according to a Long Beach Police Department news release.

At some point, the acquaintance stabbed Flores. The victim was taken to a hospital where he remained until his death April 25 at 3 p.m.

Coroner's records show Flores sustained a stab wound to the upper left chest resulting in a laceration of the right ventricle.

After the stabbing the assailant was apprehended by police. He has since been identified as Arturo Villareal, a 21-year-old Latino.

He is currently being held in lieu of $1.05 million bail at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 5 at the Long Beach Superior Court.

Investigators said a motive for the killing remains unknown.

Anyone with information about the fatal stabbing is asked to contact Long Beach Police homicide Det. Hugo Cortes and Peter Lackovic at (562) 570-7244. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

Jane Doe #30

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:14:25 -0700

Jane Doe #30, a female, died Wednesday, April 25, in South San Jose Hills, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Simi Valley heroin ring busted amid spate of overdoses, police say

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:46:44 -0700

Simi Valley police have arrested two people believed to be running a heroin delivery ring in an investigation that comes amid a series of at least seven fatal heroin overdoses in the city.

Black-tar heroin from Mexico in recent months has been ravaging well-to-do suburbs, with Redlands, Valencia, Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks among those also reporting deaths from overdoses of the drug.

Simi Valley officers ended a three-month investigation last week by arresting Oscar Ramirez, 20, and Kelly Diaz, 27, on suspicion of transporting and selling heroin, police said. Both are being detained on immigration holds because they are suspected of being in the country illegally, police said.

The pair allegedly ran a heroin operation in Simi Valley, in which addicts called a telephone number and had the drugs delivered to them, police said.

The arrests followed those of three San Fernando men by Simi Valley police in late March who were suspected of heroin trafficking and selling to youths. In that case, officers seized five pounds of heroin and $120,000 in cash, police said.

Simi Valley residents have formed an anti-heroin task force to find ways of combating the use of heroin among their children, police said.

Much of the heroin use is by youths already addicted to prescription painkillers, such as Oxycontin and Vicodin taken from their parents’ medicine cabinets, task force members have said.

At a task force meeting Monday night, Paul Strickland, a board member of the William S. Hart Union High School District in Valencia, told members his district also was being hit with heroin abuse.

Four students have died of overdoses in that district since January, Strickland said.

Last month, Redlands police responding to a series of fatal heroin overdoses arrested a group of people allegedly running a similar delivery operation.

ALSO:

May Day: Thousands to participate in rallies across L.A.

Man arrested on suspicion of trying to 'sacrifice' son at cemetery

Police rule out foul play in death of woman found in Malibu home

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Photo: Simi Valley City Hall. Credit: Sam Quinones / Los Angeles Times

May Day protests: Thousands to participate in rallies across L.A.

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:34:06 -0700

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Thousands of protesters are expected to participate Tuesday in May Day rallies across Los Angeles to register their views on a variety of issues including fair labor practices, immigration and income inequality.

Street closures began Tuesday morning and will last throughout the day downtown, the epicenter for the protests. The reach of the demonstrations will extend across Los Angeles, however, as caravans drive in for an “Occupy May 1” protest. And at LAX, workers planned to walk off their jobs to protest what they call unfair labor practices.

KTLA-TV reported that airport workers began picketing at 3 a.m. and would continue all day, until midnight. Airport officials said about 1,200 members of United Service Workers West were expected to hold a demonstration and march starting at noon inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Those traveling to and from the airport between noon and 4 p.m. were warned to expect traffic delays partly because of two detours, officials said.

“While flight operations are expected to be normal, passengers are advised to check with their airlines to ensure their flights are on time before coming to the airport,” airport officials said in a statement.

An Occupy May 1 event downtown was expected to involve caravans driving in from other parts of the county, converging at 6th and Main streets around 2:30 p.m. to prepare for what organizers are calling “direct action” at the downtown financial district.

Occupy Los Angeles will hold a special General Assembly at 7 p.m. at Pershing Square, according to information on its website.

In addition, members of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles will march and rally alongside the May 1 Unity Coalition, starting at 1 p.m. at Olympic Boulevard and South Broadway. Organizers say they are marching for “good jobs, immigration reform, voting and peace.”

The protests Tuesday mark the five-year anniversary of the “May Day melee” in MacArthur Park, when more than 90 protesters, reporters and bystanders said their civil rights were violated by police who opened fire with 200 rounds of beanbag munitions, stingers and hard rubber bullets after ordering demonstrators to disperse.

LAPD Lt. Andy Nieman said there were “plenty of officers deployed” to handle this year’s events. He said they have permits on file for four protests Tuesday.

“We do this every year,” Nieman said. “We are well-informed. We’ve been working with the organizers for months now -– that’s the best part of our plan.”

ALSO:

May Day marches will jam L.A.'s morning commute

Man arrested on suspicion of trying to 'sacrifice' son at cemetery

Stepdad held boy's head underwater during swim lesson, police say

-- Matt Stevens

Twitter.com/mattstevenslat

LAPD will be out in force during May Day protests

Tue, 01 May 2012 08:31:08 -0700

The Los Angeles Police Department will be out in force Tuesday as four May Day marches are planned for downtown L.A., with more around the area.

Cmdr. Andy Smith said hundreds of officers have been deployed to maintain the peace during the marches, which will jam traffic in downtown for much of the day.

He said he didn't expect problems and described the police presence as heavy but comparable with some previous events.

The main May Day march will move along Broadway, but many other streets will be affected, officials said.

According to the LAPD, the following streets in downtown Los Angeles will be affected, beginning as early as 6:30 a.m. and continuing until 7:30 p.m:

Broadway between 11th and Temple streets

Olympic Boulevard between Hill and Main streets

9th between Hill and Broadway

8th between Spring Street and Broadway

7th between Hill and Spring

6th between Hill and Broadway

5th between Spring and Broadway

4th between Hill (Olive Street, if necessary) and Broadway

3rd between Spring and Broadway

2nd between Hill and Broadway

1st between Hill (Grand Avenue, if necessary) and Spring

Other marches are planned across the region. There will be a march Tuesday morning from Saticoy Street and Van Nuys Boulevard to the Valley Civic Center, beginning at 8 a.m. Protesters will then take mass transit to join downtown L.A. protesters.

Protesters will march and drive through East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights, also meeting other protesters downtown. A similar arrangement is planned through South Los Angeles. Another protest is scheduled from Santa Monica through Westwood, Beverly Hills and into downtown L.A. It was unclear how much any of these demonstrations will affect traffic.

According to L.A. officials, more marches are scheduled by unions, one along Wilshire in the afternoon from Westwood Boulevard to La Brea Avenue, the other moving north from the Crenshaw area to Wilshire and La Brea.

In addition, Los Angeles International Airport warned that traffic in and out of the main terminal could be slowed by a planned protest just outside LAX.

LAX workers hold protest amid heightened security

May Day protests: A quiet morning at Olympic and Broadway

-- Andrew Blankstein

Oakland shooting rampage suspect pleads not guilty

Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

OAKLAND — The former nursing student charged with seven counts of murder after a shooting rampage at a vocational school in Oakland pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon.

One L. Goh, a 43-year-old South Korean national, had also been charged with three counts of attempted murder in the rampage at Oikos University nearly a month ago.

Shackled to a chair in the jury box of Department 11 and clad in a red jail uniform, Goh appeared thinner than the day he was arrested in the killings of six students and a school employee. Authorities have said they were shot with a gun he had purchased legally a few months earlier.

Speaking with reporters outside of court Monday, Sgt. J.D. Nelson, spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, said Goh had begun eating over the weekend for the first time since the April 2 shootings.

"He's been moved out of the infirmary" at Santa Rita Jail in the East Bay suburb of Dublin, Nelson said. "He didn't eat for nearly a month at the jail. We don't know why.... He's in administrative segregation and is out of his cell only one hour a day."

Wangchen Nyima, brother of one of the shooting victims, said he did not understand Goh's not-guilty plea. He had come to Department 11 on Monday because "I wanted to see. I wanted to know what was really happening.... I had to be here for my sister."

Nyima's sister, Tibetan nursing student Sonam Choedon, 33, died in the bloody rampage.

"I don't know why he's not guilty," Nyima said. "I lost my sister."

Nyima also said their brother, a Buddhist monk in India, had been trying to come to Oakland for the proceedings but was denied a visa.

"He wants to come here so badly," Nyima said.

Goh was ordered back to court on June 25 for a pretrial hearing before Alameda County Superior Court Judge Connie M. Panetta.

maria.laganga@latimes.com

Defense attorney says client murdered Riverside police officer

Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Earl Ellis Green shot and killed Riverside police Officer Ryan P. Bonaminio on a chilly night in a church parking lot in November 2010 — that much will not be disputed in the trial that opened Monday in Riverside.

"Earl Ellis Green murdered Officer Bonaminio,'' defense attorney Gail O'Rane told the jury, moments after prosecutor Michael Hestrin laid out a chilling account of the officer's final moments.

The slaying, O'Rane argued, was not premeditated, and does not merit a first-degree murder charge that carries a potential death penalty, which is being sought by prosecutors.

The defense offered little hint of how it will make its case, saying only that Green's "mental state" would be critical to his defense.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, offered graphic, minute-by-minute details of the slaying.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a case about brutality and cruelty,'' Hestrin told the jury in his opening statement.

Hestrin said Green, a 46-year-old convicted felon on parole, jumped out of a stolen truck that was being pursued by police after a report that it had been involved in a hit-and-run. He then ran into Riverside's Fairmount Park, ending up in the staircase of the adjacent Center for Spiritual Living.

Bonaminio, 27, followed, shouting for Green to stop. When the officer slipped in the mud near a stairwell, Hestrin said, Green emerged and bludgeoned the officer with a metal pipe. Green then took the injured officer's .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and chambered a new round, according to the prosecution.

Stephen J. McQueen, a homeless man who volunteered at the church, saw the shooting unfold as he smoked a cigarette in the parking lot. Bonaminio, hands up, told the killer "Don't do it. Don't do it,'' McQueen testified Monday.

"Then there was three shots. One shot did not seem to affect the officer at all,'' said McQueen, who did not see the suspect well enough to identify Green as the killer. "The next two, there was movement, and then the officer began falling.''

The prosecutor, in his opening statement, said Green's first two shots missed the officer. Green then walked up to Bonaminio, on his knees at the time, and fired at the back of the officer's head from a foot or so away, Hestrin said.

"His life and blood poured out of him,'' Hestrin told the jury. "He died there, on the cold and dirty asphalt.''

Hestrin laid out a summary of the evidence: Bonaminio's gun, which later showed traces of the officer's blood and DNA, was found in a closet inside the home of Green's girlfriend. Green's DNA was found on a beer can inside the big-rig, which had been stolen from a Penske rental lot, and his fingerprints were lifted from electrical tape he apparently used when hot-wiring the rig. Bonaminio's blood and DNA were found in the same truck, according to Hestrin.

After the shooting, Green walked back to the truck and drove off, according to prosecutors, who played a video taken from the officer's patrol car that showed a man fleeing the truck as a voice shouted for him to stop, then getting back in the truck and leaving about two minutes later.

On Monday, Charman Robinson positively identified Green as the man who nudged her car near the 60 Freeway and Market Street. Green sat silently throughout the testimony, wearing a pressed gray suit, his legs shackled.

The trial before Judge Jean P. Leonard is expected to last at least two weeks.

Bonaminio's mother and father watched from the back of the courtroom, surrounding by family and friends, all of whom declined to comment.

phil.willon@latimes.com

Police rule out foul play in death of woman found in Malibu home

Tue, 01 May 2012 07:50:48 -0700

Investigators now say foul play is not suspected in the death of a woman whose body was found in the garage of her parents' home in Malibu.

According to sheriff's officials, 25-year-old Katie Wilkins' body was found Saturday evening at the home in the 23400 block of Moon Shadows Drive, KTLA-TV reported. She was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

An autopsy was conducted Monday, but the cause of death is pending the results of toxicology tests, which can take several weeks, authorities said.

"At this time, it appears that was no foul play involved in the death of Ms. Wilkins," according to an L.A. County Sheriff's Department statement. "The investigation is ongoing."

Wilkins' car, a silver a 1998 silver BMW Z3, license plate number 4AMN558, was missing.

She was staying at her parents' home while they were away on a business trip. The last time anyone talked to her was Friday morning, officials said. Her brother Steve went to the house Saturday evening and found her body.

ALSO:

May Day marches will jam L.A.'s morning commute

Man arrested on suspicion of trying to 'sacrifice' son at cemetery

Stepdad held boy's head underwater during swim lesson, police say

-- KTLA-TV

Stepdad held boy's head underwater during swim lesson, police say

Tue, 01 May 2012 07:26:26 -0700

L.A. County sheriff's officials say a man attempted to drown his 7-year-old son during a swimming lesson at a Palmdale pool.

Jacqorie Stansell was teaching his stepson to swim about 7 p.m. Sunday at the pool of an apartment complex in the 200 block of East Avenue R but grew frustrated because the boy wasn't learning quickly enough, officials said, according to KTLA-TV.

Stansell told investigators he repeatedly held the child's head underwater for as long as 15 seconds at a time. The boy almost drowned and paramedics were called in to revive him when he stopped breathing, authorities said. He was rushed to a hospital after rescuers got him breathing again.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Stansell on suspicion of attempted murder and cruelty to a child. His bail was set at $1 million.

The boy's mother and 2-year-old sister were in their apartment during the swimming lesson. Both children are now in protective custody, according to sheriff's officials.

ALSO:

May Day marches will jam L.A.'s morning commute

Roads closed, traffic gridlock likely for May Day protests

Man arrested on suspicion of trying to 'sacrifice' son at cemetery

-- KTLA-TV

Crime alerts for University Park, Pacoima and five other L.A. neighborhoods

Tue, 01 May 2012 04:09:45 -0700

Crime reports are up significantly in seven L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of the latest week of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Four neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. University Park (A) was the most unusual, recording five reports compared with a weekly average of 1.5 over the last three months.

Pacoima (E) topped the list of three neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 33 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 22.0 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for April 21–April 27, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Violent crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
University Park	1.5	5
Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw	5.0	10
Westlake	16.9	24
West Adams	2.8	6

Property crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Pacoima	22.0	33
Elysian Park	1.8	8
Vermont-Slauson	16.2	21

What triggers a crime alert? Learn about the process in the FAQ for our crime database.

Monique Burton, 51

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Monique Burton, a 51-year-old black woman, died Tuesday, May 1, in the 100 block of Ellis Street in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Detectives found Burton's body about 6 p.m. inside the home she shared with her boyfriend. An anonymous caller asked police to check on her.

Burton had sustained “obvious trauma” to her upper body, and investigators suspect her death was the result of a domestic dispute, according to a statement released by the Long Beach Police Department.

— Alexandra Zavis

Eddie Banks Jr., 42

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Eddie Banks Jr., a 42-year-old Latino, died Tuesday, May 1, hours after he was shot in the 1800 block of East 1st Street in Boyle Heights, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Banks and his girlfriend were standing on the sidewalk April 30 about 11:45 p.m. when an unknown person walked up and opened fire on the couple, according to an LAPD news release.

Authorities responded to the shooting and the pair were taken to the hospital for treatment. Banks died a short time later, officials said; the woman was later released.

Investigators believe the shooting was gang-related.

Anyone with details about the incident is asked to contact Hollenbeck homicide Det. Carrillo or Alfaro at (323) 342-8959 or (323) 342-8956. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

O.C. man sentenced for conning elderly couple out of millions

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:33:38 -0700

An Orange County man was sentenced to prison Monday for defrauding an elderly couple out of $5.5 million, authorities said.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Guilford ordered John Arthur Walthall, 56, of La Habra to serve 168 months in federal prison and pay $2,479,000 in restitution to the victims, who are in their 80s.

A federal jury in Santa Ana convicted Walthall in December of four counts of wire fraud and one count of failure to appear in court.

In 2007, Walthall convinced an Orange County couple -- ages 83 and 80 at the time -- to invest $5.5 million in his company called Advanced Recycling General Partnership. He claimed he would use the funds to extract gold from abandoned mines.

Instead, prosecutors showed during the four-week trial, Walthall spent the victims' money to pay alimony to his ex-wife, film school tuition for his son, personal debts, and to buy multiple cars and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

"Fraud schemes that victimize older residents are nothing short of elder abuse," said U.S. Atty. André Birotte Jr. "While elder abuse is often committed by family members or caregivers, this case reminds us that the elderly can also be targeted by outside scam artists, whose actions can bring significant financial and emotional harm."

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Soldier from Anaheim killed in Afghanistan

Octomom Nadya Suleman files for personal bankruptcy

Motorcyclist killed in solo-vehicle crash on Mulholland Drive

-- Angel Jennings

Man arrested on suspicion of trying to 'sacrifice' son at cemetery

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:40:36 -0700

A 31-year-old San Diego man is set to be arraigned on charges of child abuse and attempted murder after a bizarre incident in which police say he attacked his 8-year-old son with broken glass in an attempted sacrifice.

Joseph Ramirez is being held in jail without bail pending arraignment Wednesday in San Diego County Super Court.

According to police, Ramirez took his three children to Mt. Hope Cemetery on Saturday and then cut his son's arms after supposedly hearing the voice of his dead grandmother calling for the boy to be sacrificed. He then cut his own forearms, police said.

The glass came from a broken candle holder that Ramirez had brought to the cemetery, police said. Ramirez stopped cutting the boy when other visitors at the cemetery confronted him, police said. He was arrested without incident.

The boy was treated at a hospital and released.

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Wayward dolphin may have been bullied by others

Woman held captive, repeatedly raped for three days, police say

Metro awards rail contract to Japanese firm despite union protests

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Octomom Nadya Suleman files for personal bankruptcy

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:36:10 -0700

"Octomom" Nadya Suleman filed for personal bankruptcy in Orange County Superior Court on Monday as her home in La Habra was set to go up for auction.

In court documents reviewed by the Orange County Register, Suleman said she had $50,000 in assets and up to $1 million in debts. "I have had to make some very difficult decisions this year, and filing Chapter 7 was one of them," Suleman said in a statement released to the paper by her spokeswoman. "But I have to do what is best for my children, and I need a fresh start."

Suleman and her 14 children could face eviction if the house is sold, which would compound her problems after recent allegations she had been neglecting her children while spending hundreds of dollars on herself for services such as Brazilian blowouts.

Officers from the La Habra Police Department accompanied social workers to Suleman's home last Tuesday after receiving a complaint, which said there was only one working toilet in the house and the children had to use portable training toilets in their bedrooms.

The complaint also said the children appeared to be malnourished and unclean, and Suleman locked them in their rooms while she attended to personal matters.

The social workers spent about two hours at the house and determined that the children were not in danger and should not be removed. The Orange County Department of Family and Children's Services continues to investigate.

Suleman gained worldwide attention in 2009 when she gave birth to octuplets and became instantly known as "Octomom."

ALSO:

Quake rattles nerves but causes no damage

Bloody note found next to body of stabbed 9-year-old girl

L.A. riots: Victims killed defending businesses, in random attacks

-- A Times staff writer and KTLA News

Photo: Nadya Suleman. Credit: Fox TV

Suspect pleads not guilty in Oakland campus shooting rampage

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:29:44 -0700

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.

The former nursing student charged with seven counts of murder in a shooting rampage at a vocational school in Oakland pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon.

One L. Goh, a 43-year-old South Korean national, had also been charged with three counts of attempted murder in the rampage at Oikos University nearly a month ago.

Shackled to a chair in the jury box of Department 11 and clad in a red jail uniform, Goh appeared thinner than the day he was arrested in the killings of six students and a school employee. Authorities have said the victims were shot with a gun Goh had purchased legally a few months earlier.

Wangchen Nyima, brother of one of the shooting victims, said he didn't understand Goh's not-guilty plea. He had come to Department 11 Monday because "I wanted to see. I wanted to know what was really happening.... I had to be here for my sister."

Nyima's sister, Tibetan nursing student Sonam Choedon, 33, died in the bloody rampage.

"I don't know why he's not guilty," Nyima said. "I lost my sister."

Nyima also said their brother, a Buddhist monk in India, had been trying to come to Oakland for the proceedings but was denied a visa.

"He wants to come here so badly," Nyima said.

Goh was ordered back to court on June 25 for a pretrial hearing before Alameda County Superior Court Judge Connie M. Panetta.

[For the record, 6:19 p.m. April 30: A previous version of this post stated that the shooting rampage occurred April 4. It took place April 2.]

ALSO:

Michigan man arrested in 1991 San Bernardino County murder

Deputy who tried to smuggle heroin in burrito pleads no contest

68 arrested in alleged San Bernardino County cockfighting ring

-- Maria L. La Ganga in Oakland

Photo: One Goh, left, listens to his attorney, David Klaus, in an Alameda County Superior courtroom. He pleaded not guilty to seven counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. Credit: Paul Sakuma / Associated Press

Woman held captive, repeatedly raped for three days, police say

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:59:42 -0700

A woman was held captive and raped by a man for three days before escaping, according to the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department.

Tyrone Laurence Dyson, 31, was arrested in connection with the crime on charges of rape, assault with a firearm and false imprisonment, among others.

Deputies said the woman, who is not being identified, said she was threatened at gunpoint and raped over the course of three days.

She managed to escape the home in the town of Linda on Saturday.

--Celilio Padilla, Fox 40 Sacramento

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Chihuahua mix becomes Glendale woman's 'ears'

Wayward dolphin to be left alone to return to sea on its own

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri's stolen Lamborghini found in storage unit

Photo: Tyrone Laurence Dyson (April 29, 2012)

Reptile-smuggling ring leader sentenced

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:49:45 -0700

A Japanese national who admitted to smuggling live, endangered turtles and tortoises into the U.S. in snack food containers was sentenced Monday to 21 months in prison, federal prosecutors said.

Atsushi Yamagami, 39, pleaded guilty last August to sneaking in 55 reptiles in snack food boxes stuffed into suitcases, many of which were protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, according to the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles. In court papers, prosecutors contended the scheme constituted animal cruelty and risked transmission of salmonella.

Yamagami, according to authorities, was the leader of a smuggling ring that trafficked in chameleons and lizards in addition to turtles and tortoises, all brought into the U.S. through Honolulu or Los Angeles and sold or traded at pet shows across the country. Yamagami, described as "a major wildlife trafficker" in court filings, also bought North American snakes, turtles and tortoises to be smuggled back to Japan, prosecutors said.

In addition to smuggling the animals himself, Yamagami paid couriers to transport reptiles to and from Japan in their luggage, making or arranging a total of 42 trips between 2004 and 2011, according to prosecutors. Two of the couriers, Norihide Ushirozako and Hiroki Uetsuki, were also convicted of wildlife smuggling and sentenced to time served -- seven and six months in prison, respectively.

When he was arrested in January 2011 at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from his home in Osaka, Japan, Yamagami and a courier were carrying Fly River turtles, Indian flapshell turtles, Chinese big-headed turtles, albino Chinese soft-shell turtles and Malayan snail-eating turtles, according to court papers.

In addition to the prison term, Yamagami was ordered to pay $18,403 in fines.

ALSO:

Defense tells jury that parolee killed Riverside police officer

Echoes of 1992 L.A. riots felt in Pasadena, South Pasadena

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri's stolen Lamborghini found in storage unit

-- Victoria Kim

Photo: Turtles confiscated at Los Angeles International Airport in January. Credit: Associated Press / U.S. attorney's office

Orange county gang member gets life in prison for 2004 murder

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:45:40 -0700

A gang member convicted of opening fire in a crowded Cypress cafe, killing a 22-year-old woman and injuring several others, has been sentenced to life in prison, the Orange County district attorney's office said Monday.

Stephenson Choi Kim, 31, was found guilty of one count of murder and six counts of attempted murder for the 2004 shooting, in which he was accused of firing at a table where Venus Hyun, 22, was sitting with six friends. Jurors found to be true special circumstance allegations that Kim committed the crime as part of a criminal street gang. Kim was also convicted of a count of felony street terrorism.

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty against Kim, but jurors deadlocked during the penalty phase of the trial, in which they were shown evidence of a confession letter found on Kim’s computer and a jailhouse note from him about "making sure the witnesses don’t testify." They were split 7 to 5 in favor of the death penalty.

At the time of the shooting, Kim was with six other gang members who all pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and testified against him. Co-defendants Robin Kim 29, Christopher Ung, 28, Wilson Sun, 29, Chakris Kanchanapoomi, 28, Ashil Manek Nair, 27, and Glenn Lamuel Watkins, 25, received sentences between six to 11 years in state prison.

According to prosecutors, Kim and the other gang members had piled into several cars, carrying firearms and looking to fight rival gang members, when they arrived at 5th Wave Cafe in Cypress in March 2004.

Nair and Watkins first went into the cafe and asked Hyun and her friends if they were connected to the gang; one man at the table said he "didn’t bang anymore." Kim then entered the cafe, shot at the people at Hyun's table and fled through a back door, prosecutors contended at trial.

In addition to Hyun, who was shot in the back, four others suffered gunshot wounds.

ALSO:

Michigan man arrested in 1991 San Bernardino County murder

Deputy who tried to smuggle heroin in burrito pleads no contest

68 arrested in alleged San Bernardino County cockfighting ring

-- Victoria Kim

Defense tells jury that parolee killed Riverside police officer

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:15:10 -0700

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Earl Ellis Green, 46, shot and killed Officer Ryan P. Bonaminio, 27, on a chilly night in a church parking lot in November 2010 -- that much was not in dispute during the trial that opened Monday in Riverside.

"Earl Ellis Green murdered Officer Bonaminio," Deputy Capital Defender Gail O’Rane told the jury, moments after prosecutor Michael Hestrin laid out a chilling account of a Riverside police officer’s final moments.

The slaying, O’Rane argued, was not premeditated, and does not merit a first-degree murder charge that carries a potential death penalty, sought by prosecutors.The defense offered little hint of how it will make its case.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, offered graphic, minute-by-minute details of the slaying.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a case about brutality and cruelty," Hestrin told the jury.

Investigators said Green, a convicted felon on parole, jumped out of a stolen truck that was being pursued by police, and ran into Riverside's Fairmount Park. Hestrin said that Bonaminio followed Green into the parking lot of a church near the park. When the officer slipped in the mud near a stairwell, Hestrin said, Green emerged from the shadows and bludgeoned the officer with a metal pipe. Green then took the officer’s gun and loaded the chamber with a new round, according to the prosecution.

A homeless man who witnessed the shooting, Stephen McQueen, testified Monday that the officer told the accused: “Don’t do it. Don’t do it.’’

Prosecutors said Green ignored the pleas and fired twice at Bonaminio -– missing both times. Green then walked up to Bonaminio, injured and on his knees at the time, and fired at the back of the officer’s head from a foot or so away, Hestrin said. “He died there, on the cold and dirty asphalt," he told the jury.

ALSO:

Quake rattles nerves but causes no damage

Bloody note found next to body of stabbed 9-year-old girl

Teen and drone once stuck in tree compete in state science fair

-- Phil Willon in Riverside

Michigan man arrested in 1991 San Bernardino County murder

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:45:53 -0700

A Michigan man has been extradited to San Bernardino County and booked on suspicion of murdering a Highland man in 1991, sheriff's department officials said Monday.

Alfred Woods, 49, also known as Jullian Cane, was arrested in Westland, Mich., and arrived Friday in San Bernardino, authorities said.

Woods is accused of fatally shooting Horace Terry, 52, in the Rimrock Apartment Complex in Highland, according to sheriff's officials. At the time a man named Jullian Cane was identified as a possible suspect in the killing, but he fled the state and was never interviewed and remained at large, the sheriff's department said in a statement.

In February, San Bernardino County sheriff’s detectives reviewed active fugitive files and tried to find Cane. They learned he was using the name Alfred Woods and was living in Michigan. Cold-case homicide detectives took the case and confirmed Woods and Cane were the same man.

San Bernardino County prosecutors filed charges against Woods, and U.S. Marshals arrested him earlier this month. He is being held on a no-bail warrant at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

ALSO:

Man in custody on suspicion of 9-year-old girl's stabbing death

Rally to honor Academic Decathlon champs from Granada Hills

La Habra home of 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman could go up for auction

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri's stolen Lamborghini found in storage unit

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:42:44 -0700

A $200,000 yellow Lamborghini owned by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and stolen from a San Francisco car dealership was found in a Point Richmond storage unit, police said Monday.

The 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo was stolen in March 2011 from a dealership on Van Ness Avenue when a thief rappelled from the roof, entered through a window and drove away in the car, police said, according to CBS Channel 5 in San Francisco.

Surveillance video obtained from the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin County town of Tiburon showed the Lamborghini driving by after the theft, but the car was not found until Saturday when Marin County sheriff’s investigators stumbled upon it while searching a storage unit in Point Richmond.

The unit belonged to a 17-year-old boy who was arrested Saturday on suspicion of a shooting into an occupied car in Mill Valley earlier this month, according to the sheriff’s office.

San Francisco police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza confirmed Monday the Lamborghini found in the storage unit was the same one stolen from the dealership.

Fieri, who hosts various TV shows, could not be reached for comment.

ALSO:

Wayward dolphin to be left alone to return to sea on its own

Deputy who tried to smuggle heroin in burrito pleads no contest

Daughter of Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner arrested at Malibu home

-- From a Times staff writer

Photo: Celebrity chef Guy Fieri greets fans at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami Beach, Fla., in February. Credit: Jeffrey M. Boan / Associated Press

Deputy who tried to smuggle heroin in burrito pleads no contest

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:18:29 -0700

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who tried to smuggle heroin into a courthouse jail inside a bean-and-cheese burrito pleaded no contest Monday to two felonies, authorities said.

Deputy Henry Marin, 27, faces up to four years behind bars after the open plea to a single count each of bringing drugs into jail and conspiracy. An open plea means there was no previously negotiated deal. Marin faces up to two years in jail when sentenced June 25 by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Anne Egerton.

Prosecutors alleged Marin and at least two other unnamed people conspired with him. According to the indictment, one of the two contacted the other to discuss using a deputy to get narcotics into the Airport Courthouse jail.

Several days later, the two met at a sheriff's jailhouse, an indictment states. One instructed the other to get the drugs and stuff them into a "food item," the indictment states. Authorities said a woman took the package to one of the Airport Courthouse courtrooms, where she allegedly met with Marin and handed him the burrito.

The burrito episode was one of a series of contraband-smuggling cases at Los Angeles County lockups.

In recent years, at least three sheriff's department guards have been convicted and a fourth fired in connection with smuggling or attempting to smuggle narcotics into jail for inmates.

The porous nature of the jails was highlighted last year when The Times revealed that FBI agents conducted an undercover sting in which a deputy was accused of taking $1,500 to smuggle a cellphone to an inmate working as a federal informant. Federal authorities are investigating reports of brutality and other misconduct by deputies.

Before the burrito incident, Marin was featured in the first episode of Fox's reality show "The Academy" based on the sheriff’s department's training of recruits.

Marin's subpar performance eventually led to his ouster from Academy Class 355 for flunking two role-playing exercises. In one, he failed to call for help after a suicidal woman drew a gun, and he was unable to recall the radio code for an emergency.

"You blew this one, big time," his instructor says in the TV show.

After he failed a second scenario, Marin was dismissed from the academy.

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Mega Millions: 3 winning tickets still unclaimed in California

Wayward dolphin to be left alone to return to sea on its own

Daughter of Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner arrested at Malibu home

-- Andrew Blankstein (Twitter.com/anblanx)

Photo: Henry Marin, a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, on an episode of the Fox reality television show "The Academy." Credit: Fox television

68 arrested in alleged San Bernardino County cockfighting ring

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:04:11 -0700

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies arrested 68 people in connection with an alleged cockfighting ring after raiding a barn over the weekend in Hesperia.

The raid took place about 10 a.m. Saturday on the 14000 block of Summit Valley Road, the sheriff’s department said.

Some 75 people were at the alleged cockfight and scattered as deputies arrived in trucks, aided by helicopters overhead, and tried to detain as many as they could, sheriff's officials said.

Deputies found the carcasses of several dead roosters and seized 63 live birds and $20,000 in cash that had been used to gamble on the fights, sheriff's officials said.

Participants came from La Puente, Panorama City, Lancaster, Riverside, Victorville and Hesperia, sheriff's officials said.

The barn’s owner and alleged event organizer, Daniel Urena, of La Puente, also was arrested, sheriff's officials said.

Those detained were booked on suspicion of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty, cockfighting and animal sport cruelty. Immigration holds were placed on 32 people suspected of being in the country illegally, the department said.

“We will not let or allow this blood sport to flourish in the County of San Bernardino,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops in a statement.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (760) 868-1006 or (760) 552-6800. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to contact the We-Tip Hotline at (800) 78-CRIME (27463).

ALSO:

Man in custody on suspicion of 9-year-old girl's stabbing death

Rally to honor Academic Decathlon champs from Granada Hills

La Habra home of 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman could go up for auction

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Photo: Rooster at alleged cockfighting barn. Credit: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Robert Wagner's daughter arrested after shooting at Malibu home

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:33:14 -0700

The daughter of actor Robert Wagner and actress Natalie Wood was arrested on suspicion of narcotics possession after a reported shooting in Malibu, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said Monday.

Deputies were called to a home in the 24400 block of Piuma Road in unincorporated Malibu on April 22, following a report of a shooting, according to a sheriff's statement. Courtney Wagner, 38, of Malibu, and Matthew Cox, 24, were at the residence when deputies arrived.

During the investigation, they found several handguns and several baggies "of what appeared to be narcotics at the location," according to sheriff's officials.

A short time later, Cox was arrested on suspicion of discharging a firearm in a negligent manner, sheriff's officials said. Wagner was booked on suspicion of narcotics possession, according to sheriff's officials.

They were released on bond after being booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff’s station, officials said.

In November, the department announced it was reopening its case into the 1981 death of Robert Wagner's wife, actress Natalie Wood. Her death at the time was ruled an accidental drowning while boating off Santa Catalina Island.

By January, sheriff's investigators said they had uncovered no new evidence in her death nor anything to suggest it was not an accident.

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Photo: Courtney Wagner in 2004. Credit: Giulio Marcocchi / Getty Images.

Man in custody on suspicion of 9-year-old girl's stabbing death

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:46:23 -0700

Long Beach police on Monday were investigating the death of a 9-year-old girl who was found stabbed to death in a church parking lot next to a man suspected of being her killer.

The man, who police believe may be her father or stepfather, had suffered self-inflicted wounds but had survived, according to investigators. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder after the girl was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

KCAL 9, quoting family members, identified the man as Jacinto Trujillo. A Long Beach police spokeswoman declined to confirm, but the Los Angeles County sheriff’s online booking system showed Trujillo, 31, was being held at Twin Towers jail in downtown Los Angeles in lieu of $1 million bail.

Investigators said they were trying to piece together a motive for why the man allegedly stabbed the girl in her upper body, then attempted suicide. Next to the girl’s body in the lot at the corner of Woodruff Avenue and Willow Street were letters written in blood on the side of what appeared to be a gray shipping container that authorities are considering as evidence in the case.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Long Beach homicide Dets. Scott Lasch and Donald Goodman at (562) 570-7244, or submit anonymous tips at www.tipsoft.com.

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Supreme Court rejects bid to shield Sheriff Lee Baca from lawsuit

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:32:52 -0700

The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to shield Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca from being sued for racial gang violence in the jails he supervises.

The justices without comment turned down an appeal from the county’s lawyers, who argued Baca cannot be held personally liable for the stabbing of an inmate since he had no personal involvement in the incident.

Instead, the court let stand a decision of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which said Baca can be sued for “deliberate indifference” to the inmate’s rights since he was on notice of the jailhouse violence and failed to take action to stop it.

Dion Starr says he was stabbed 23 times by Latino gang members at the Central Men’s Jail in 2006. He also says he was kicked in the face by a guard who saw the incident and refused to come to his aid. In his suit, Starr named Baca as well as the guards and deputies who were at the scene.

Sonia Mercado, a lawyer for Starr, said it is important that the county sheriff be named in the suit.

“Unless the supervisor is held accountable, nothing will change. This horrendous misconduct will continue,” she said.

Timothy Coates, a Los Angeles lawyer, appealed to the high court in December, urging the justices to throw out the claim against the sheriff. He said plaintiffs’ lawyers try to win big damages judgments by naming top officials, whether or not they had a personal role in the actual case.

“If you are the head of an agency, you are a big target, and you can get dragged into lots of lawsuits,” he said.

Judges in California had been split over whether there was enough evidence for the suit against Baca to go forward. U.S. District Judge George Wu in Los Angeles threw out the claim against the sheriff in 2008, since there was no evidence personally linking Baca to the jailhouse stabbing.

The Supreme Court in 2009 also made it harder to sue top officials. In a 5-4 decision, it threw out a suit against former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft seeking to hold him liable for the arrest and jailhouse beating of Muslim men following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The court said plaintiffs need specific facts showing a top supervisor was directly involved in a constitutional violation. Afterward, a divided 9th Circuit allowed the suit against Baca to go forward.

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Photo: Sheriff Lee Baca on April 10. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

Yacht may have been hit by tanker or freighter; 4 dead

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:01:47 -0700

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The Coast Guard was looking for answers after a 37-foot boat disappeared during the Newport-to-Ensenada yacht race, possibly after being hit by a freighter or tanker. Four sailors were lost.

The Coast Guard has yet to determine a cause for the apparent destruction of the boat, called the Aegean. But racing officials believe it was struck by a "much larger vessel."

The Coast Guard's lead investigator for San Diego, Bill Fitzgerald, said investigators were "tracking down any vessel that may have been in their area."

Three bodies were recovered Saturday from a scattered debris field near the Coronado Islands, about 15 miles south of San Diego. None was wearing a life jacket.

After scouring a 600-square-mile area Sunday with ships and aircraft, the Coast Guard on Sunday night suspended its search indefinitely for the fourth crew member. "We've exhausted all possibilities," said a spokesman.

Regatta organizers said they believed the boat was hit and demolished by a much larger ship — perhaps a freighter or tanker — passing in the dark early Saturday.

The boat disappeared from the online tracking system around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. Two sailors on other boats recalled seeing a large ship in the area.

"We're all in shock," said Chuck Iverson, commodore of the Newport Ocean Sailing Assn., sponsor of the 125-mile race, which is one of the sport's most popular. "We're still trying to piece it together and find out more from the investigation."

The deaths were the first in the history of the race, which this year had 213 entries and has a history of attracting such world-class skippers as Dennis Conner, Bill Ficker and Dave Ullman, as well as celebrities such as Walter Cronkite, Buddy Ebsen and Humphrey Bogart.

The destruction of the Aegean comes two weeks after a 38-foot sailboat was swamped by two rogue waves during a race around the Farallon Islands off San Francisco. Five of the eight crew members were killed.

Despite these two disasters, statistics kept by the Coast Guard indicate that even though the waters off the West Coast are heavily used by recreational boaters, merchant ships and U.S. Navy vessels, accidents are exceedingly rare.

In 2010, the latest year for which statistics were available, six accidents involving recreational boaters were reported to the Coast Guard three miles or more into the Pacific Ocean — with one fatality.

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Possible arsenic poisoning a mystery in coroner official's death

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:50:26 -0700

It could takes months to get a final determination on the cause of death for Los Angeles County coroner's official Michael Cormier, who officials said appears to have died from poisoning.

Law enforcement sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said that finding the presence of poison does not necessarily mean the death was a homicide because the substance could have accidentally entered his system. According to sources, arsenic was one poison being examined as a potential cause but stressed that no final determination has been made.

Ed Winter, deputy chief coroner, said that an autopsy had been performed but that a determination of the cause of death has been deferred pending further tests.

"At this point we haven't ruled out foul play," added Lt. Alan Hamilton of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Cormier, 61, died last week after being taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank from his North Hollywood home. Earlier he had complained of pain and vomiting.

Hospital staff notified police about concerns surrounding the cause of Cormier's death.

Cormier, who also worked as a coroner's photographer, had registered a small business under the name MAC Autopsy Services at the home.

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Photo: Michael Cormier. Credit: KTLA News

Murder trial opens in fatal shooting of Riverside police officer

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:24:30 -0700

The murder trial begins Monday morning for Earl Ellis Green, the parolee accused of the brutal murder of a Riverside police officer in 2010.

Green, 46, has been charged with shooting Officer Ryan P. Bonaminio on the night of Nov. 7 after the officer pursued Green as he drove an allegedly stolen semi-truck believed to have been involved in a hit-and-run collision, prosecutors said.

Investigators said Green jumped out of the truck and ran into Riverside's vast Fairmount Park. When Bonaminio slipped on the wet grass while chasing him on foot, Green hit the officer with a pipe and then shot him point-blank, possibly with the officer’s own gun, prosecutors said.

Green’s criminal record spans two decades and included several convictions for spousal abuse and car theft, as well as drug dealing and battery of a police officer, according to prosecutors.

Green faces the death penalty if convicted. Opening statements for his murder trial are scheduled for 9 a.m. before Judge Jean Pfeiffer Leonard in Riverside.

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Photo: Officer Ryan P. Bonaminio. Credit: KTLA-TV.

Woman found dead in Malibu garage; car missing

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:08:52 -0700

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies on Monday were investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in the garage of her parents' home in Malibu.

The body of Katie Wilkins, 25, was found Saturday by her brother in the 23400 block of Moon Shadows Drive, a small cul-de-sac near Saddle Peak. She was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics; her cause of death was under investigation.

Wilkins' car, a silver BMW with the license plate 4AMN558, was missing, KTLA-TV reported. In an interview with the station, her brother Steve speculated that perhaps she had been with another person who fled the scene.

"It looks like someone was there with her, and maybe is scared or doesn't know how to come forward," he said.

Wilkins was staying at her parents' home while they were away on a business trip. The last time anyone talked to her was Friday morning; her brother stopped by Saturday evening.

"The first thing I saw was her in the garage, and she had passed away," he recalled.

Emergency officials at the scene reported suspicious circumstances. The dog had gotten out of the house, and Wilkins had prepared food and started a load of laundry.

Her family wants to know who was with her.

"We're not angry. We're not upset with anyone who might have been with her," Steve Wilkins said. "We just want them to come forward and help bring some closure to Katie. She was loved by a lot of people."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

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Man shot dead on 18th Street in Central L.A.

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man on 18th Street in Central Los Angeles early Sunday in which more than a dozen bullets were fired, including some that pierced the front wall of a nearby church.

The victim was a man in his 20s, said Mark Morgan, a homicide detective at the scene. His name was not released because his next of kin had not yet been notified, Morgan said.

The street — from which one of the city's most notorious gangs took its name many years ago — is largely quiet, said neighbors, who awoke to the gunshots about 2:30 a.m.

"I've been here six years and there's been no problems," said Juan Carlos Echeverria, a Salvadoran immigrant who recycles cans and bottles. "I come and go late at night with no trouble."

Echeverria said he awoke to the sound of gunshots in his apartment on Gramercy Place and ran around the corner to find the man lying on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building, bleeding from numerous chest wounds. "He was dying, and by the time the ambulance arrived, he was dead," Echeverria said.

Morgan said the shooting appeared to be the work of one man, who had been seen running west on 18th Street.

Sunday morning, members of the Templo de Poder Christian Church, 50 yards from the crime scene, prepared for their 8 a.m. service as church officials and detectives viewed where bullets — four in all — pierced the building's walls.

No one at the church was hurt.

sam.quinones@latimes.com

Jonathan Ruedas, 18

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Jonathan Ruedas, identified by the coroner's office as an 18-year-old white man, died Monday, April 30, two months after he was shot at an unknown location.

Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office, said Ruedas was shot Feb. 26 and taken to a hospital for treatment.

Two months later, the victim succumbed to his injury and was pronounced dead April 30 at 7:40 p.m.

Winter said the hospital reported the homicide to the coroner’s office. A police agency has yet to be assigned to the death investigation.

Anyone with information about the death of Jonathan Ruedas is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

— Los Angeles Times

L.A. riots: Memories of mob violence fade at Florence and Normandie

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:13:41 -0700

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The flash point of the Los Angeles riots was the corner of Florence and Normandie avenues.

It was there that TV helicopters captured the beating of trucker Reginald Denny, scenes that became the symbol for mob violence during the riots.

Los Angeles Times reporter Esmeralda Bermudez went back to Florence and Normandie this month. She found changed demographics and fading memories of the violence.

"Riots here?" asked James Oh, pointing to his store, Tom's Liquor. "No, no. Riots long, long time ago."

Today, the shelves are neatly stocked, the floors are sparkling clean and marigold daisies blossom in the sun a few feet from his door. On the walls outside: "No graffiti at all," he says proudly.

Twenty years ago today, when Oh was in Germany clearing minefields for the Army, one of the nation's worst riots exploded in Los Angeles. Tom's Liquor, at the corner of Florence and Normandie avenues, was ground zero.

The youths who now dash in and out of the green-roofed building for chips and sodas bear only the faintest connection to those days. And many of the neighbors who lived through the violence have moved out or died or simply don't care to keep harping about the past.

But history's a tough thing to escape at Florence and Normandie.

Every April, as surely as the faithful flock to church for Easter, TV cameras descend on this corner to remind the world about the time when buildings burned, more than 50 people died and thousands were injured.

On a recent day outside Tom's, a woman known to all as Lil' Momma had had enough with the attention. She grabbed a reporter's notebook and ran off with it. Angrily, she raised a fist toward the intersection:

"Florence and Normandie, Florence and Normandie! What about Florence and Normandie? When are y'all just gonna drop it and leave us the hell alone?"

Read the full story here.

FULL COVERAGE:

Photos

Reader stories

Front pages from 1992

-- Esmeralda Bermudez

Police investigate fatal shooting on 18th Street in Mid City

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:40:40 -0700

Los Angeles police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man on 18^th Street in Mid-City early Sunday in which more than a dozen bullets were fired, including some that pierced the front wall of a nearby church.

The victim was a man in his 20s, said Mark Morgan, a homicide detective at the scene. His name was not released because his next of kin had not been notified, Morgan said.

The street, from which one of the city’s most notorious gangs took its name many years ago, is largely quiet, said neighbors, who awoke to the gunshots about 2:30 a.m.

“I’ve been here six years and there's been no problems,” said Juan Carlos Echeverria, a Salvadoran immigrant who recycles cans and bottles. “I come and go late at night with no trouble.”

Echeverria said he awoke to the gunshots in his apartment on Gramercy Place and ran around the corner to find the man lying on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building, bleeding from numerous chest wounds. “He was dying, and by the time the ambulance arrived, he was dead,” Echeverria said.

Morgan said the shooting appeared to be the work of one man, who was seen running west on 18^th Street.

Sunday morning, members of the Templo de Poder Christian Church, 50 yards from the crime scene, prepared for their 8 a.m. service as church officials and detectives viewed where the gunshots -– four in all -– pierced the building’s walls . No one at the church was hurt.

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Photo: Crime-scene worker cleans blood stains where man died early Sunday on 18th Street; Credit: Sam Quinones/LA Times

Bloody note found next to body of stabbed 9-year-old girl

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 08:23:12 -0700

Long Beach police are investigating a note that appeared to be written in blood on a wall next to where a young girl's bloody body was discovered Saturday morning in a Long Beach parking lot.

She was found next to a man who might be her father or stepfather, who was still alive but suffering from self-inflicted wounds, police said.

KTLA News showed video of the note, which consisted of several large letters written in red on the side of a wall next to where both were found. The exact message could not be made out, but KTLA said the police believe it was written in blood and consider it evidence in the case.

The man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The girl, 9, had fatal cuts to her upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Long Beach police declined to name the man.

Officers arrived at the parking lot off Willow Street and Woodruff Avenue, next to the 405 Freeway and a church, after getting a call around 11 a.m. from a passerby.

Police would not say whether a weapon was found at scene. The man, who was also lying in the parking lot, is still at a hospital and in stable condition.

Both the man and the girl were Long Beach residents. Long Beach police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said investigators were trying to determine a motive for the slaying. “That’s something we all want to know,” she said.

Some nearby residents held a prayer vigil for the girl Saturday night at the site.

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L.A. riots: Victims killed defending businesses, in random attacks

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 08:11:30 -0700

The Los Angeles riots began 20 years ago today.

The Times has been covering the anniversary for several weeks. One element is an examination of the 63 people who lost their lives amid the looting and fires. Ten were shot to death by law enforcement officials. Some of the cases remain unsolved. The Times' Maloy Moore has researched the deaths and produced a searchable map and database which has summaries of all 63 deaths The Times linked to the riots.

Here is a sampling of those who died:

Matthew Haines, a 32-year-old white man, was beaten and shot in the head Thursday, April 30, 1992, in Long Beach. Haines and his nephew, Scott Coleman, 26, were pulled from Haines' motorcycle at the corner of Lemon Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway. Haines was beaten, kicked and fatally shot in the head. Coleman was shot but survived.

John H. Willers, a 37-year-old white man, was shot and killed Wednesday, April 29, 1992, in the 10600 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard in Mission Hills. The tile-setter, who was working at a Mission Hills supermarket with his Salt Lake City-based construction crew, was gunned down outside the motel where he was staying. The crew members had stayed up that night watching riot coverage on television. Around 10:45 p.m., they heard the sound of cars colliding outside the motel -- the conclusion of a chase in which, according to police, three people in one car pursued two robbery suspects in another. The crash brought many of the motel guests out onto the street. Willers stayed outside until the injured motorists were taken away by ambulance. According to co-workers, he returned to his room but decided to go back out half an hour later. Shots rang out, and he was found dead in the middle of the street. "He was caught up in the moment when the city was erupting," said Det. Woodrow Parks of the LAPD's Foothill Division. "It probably was a riot-related thing."

Wallace Tope, a 54-year-old white man, died Nov. 24, 1993. Tope had been in coma since he was assaulted April 30, 1992, in the 5500 block of West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. A street evangelist, Tope went to a shopping mall at the corner of Western Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, where hundreds of people had gathered to watch looters ransack a Sav-On drugstore. There he began to preach, urging the crowd to stop the looting and place their faith in Jesus. As he was preaching, two men began to beat him. When he tried to flee, he fell to the ground and the men kicked him repeatedly in the head for nearly three minutes, witnesses said. Tope was rescued by a passing ambulance, but he lapsed into a coma shortly after arriving at the hospital. Two men charged with murder in the last major case of the Los Angeles riots each pleaded no contest in the fatal beating of Tope and were sentenced to prison May 9, 1994. Fidel Ortiz, 22, and Leonard Sosa, 24, both former warehouse workers for a Dodger Stadium concessionaire, entered the pleas to reduced charges of voluntary manslaughter on the same day they were to go on trial for the attack. Under a plea agreement, the judge in the case sentenced Ortiz to an 11-year prison term and Sosa to a six-year term.

Brian E. Andrew, a 30-year-old black man, was shot and killed Thursday, April 30, 1992, near Rosecrans and Chester avenues in Compton. Andrew, who worked odd jobs in construction, went out Thursday night and never returned. After trying to locate her son, Gloria Andrew filed a missing-person report six days later. The next day, a Compton police officer knocked on her door to tell her the news. Andrew was seen running from a nearby shoe store with other looters, police said, and was carrying boxes of shoes and a large bottle of beer. Andrew had dropped the shoes and was waving the bottle when a Compton police officer caught up with him in an alley and shot him once in the face as they grappled, police said.

Juan V. Salgado, a 20-year-old Latino, was found dead May 20, 1992, inside a burned clothing store in the 3100 block of South Main Street called Collective Merchandise Inc., where he was last seen.

Howard Epstein, a 45-year-old white man, was shot and killed Thursday, April 30, 1992, near Slauson and 7th avenues in Hyde Park. Epstein, who had flown from his Northern California home to check on his South Los Angeles metal manufacturing business, was struck in the head by a bullet that apparently came from a pickup truck that had pulled alongside his car. His car careened into a liquor store parking lot, where a crowd quickly gathered. Onlookers broke into applause when someone yelled that the dead driver was white, witnesses said, and Epstein's cellphone, camera, briefcase and pistol were stolen. Hostility was so intense after the shooting of Epstein that detectives towed away Epstein's Thunderbird while his body was still behind the wheel -- an unusual move.

Edward Song Lee, an 18-year-old Asian man, was shot and killed Thursday, April 30, 1992, in Koreatown. Lee, a Korean American, was attempting to protect shops near 3rd Street and Hobart Boulevard when he was apparently shot by fellow Korean Americans who mistook him for a looter.

Aaron Ratinoff, a 68-year-old white man, was killed Friday, May 1, 1992, in the 11600 block of Gateway Boulevard in Sawtelle. Ratinoff was strangled by a supermarket produce manager in a dispute over corn husks. Ratinoff would never have ended up at the Bob's Market on Gateway Boulevard in West Los Angeles if the store where he normally shopped had remained open during the riots. The produce manager apparently got angry when Ratinoff dropped some corn husks on the floor while shopping for vegetables, and the pair tussled. Coroner's spokesman Bob Dambacher said the criterion his office has used for riot-related deaths was simple: "Would this person have died at that particular time and that particular place if the riots had not occurred?"

Nissar Mustafa (John Doe #172). The charred and decomposed body of John Doe #172 was discovered Aug. 12, 1992, in Harvard Heights in the 1600 block of South Western Avenue. The body was found by a demolition crew clearing the rubble inside a J.J. Newberry store that was burned by looters on the first night of riots. The body was later identified as Nissar Mustafa, a 20-year-old white man.

FULL COVERAGE:

Photos

Reader stories

Front pages from 1992

-- Maloy Moore, Sarah Ardalani, Thomas Suh Lauder,and Ken Schwencke

Disputes over cake, music lead to stabbings at San Diego parties

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 08:01:51 -0700

Disputes over cake and music led to stabbings at two separate parties on Saturday night, according to San Diego police.

In the Fairmont Village neighborhood, a man in his early 20s smeared his girlfriend's face with cake. Both thought it was funny, police said.

"The girlfriend's brother, a male in his mid-20s, did not think it was funny," according to the police report. "He took out a knife and stabbed the boyfriend and two other males attending the party."

The three victims were treated at a trauma center for wounds to their backs, hands and abdomens. Their alleged attacker fled and is being sought by police.

At a family party in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, a 44-year-old man and a 23-year-old man had a dispute about music, police said. The older man stabbed the younger man in the shoulder, police said.

Other party-goers held the 44-year-old man down until police arrived. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and booked into county jail; the younger man was treated at a trauma center.

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