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	<title><![CDATA[Local News ]]></title>
	<copyright>Copyright 2011 Copyright © 2011  Los Angeles Wave.  All rights reserved. </copyright>
	<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local</link>
	 			<description><![CDATA[ ]]></description>
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	<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 06:39:42 PST</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[L.A. legislative analysts recommend annexing Vernon]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Vernon-city-annexation-Los-Angeles-County-115613189.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">115613189</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 8 Feb 2011 18:57:29 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[Los Angeles officials took a closer look Tuesday at annexing the troubled and tiny city of Vernon.

L.A. Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller's recommendation that L.A.'s mayor and City Council begin talking with Vernon's elected officials about "voluntary annexation'' cleared a council committee Tuesday, and soon will be heard by the full council.

Consolidating the city into Los Angeles under current state law would require the approval of Vernon's voters.

Miller's endorsement of proposed state legislation calling for the "involuntary dissolution'' of cities with fewer than 150 residents was also forwarded to the full council Tuesday — as a back-up plan if Vernon's elected officials balk at joining L.A.

No vote was taken on the proposals, because only one member of the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee was present at Tuesday's meeting.

Councilman Jose Huizar used his authority as acting chairman of the committee to forward Miller's recommendations to the full council.

"I am quite surprised that it would get to this point, but I think the fact that one city is proposing to annex another shows that that relationship is not a good one,'' he said. "We should not have allowed it to get to this point. ''

"I think this is worthy of a discussion, I think the full council should have this discussion,'' Huizar added.

Vernon City Administrator Mark Whitworth said annexation, initially proposed by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, would result in the loss of thousands of jobs, and put L.A. in deeper financial peril.

"The city of L.A. would be absorbing about $1 billion of debt. Are you ready for that?'' Whitworth said, directing his question at Miller.

"I've met with many of these business owners, and everyone — to a T — has said, `We won't only leave Vernon, we'll leave the state or we'll close our doors,''' Whitworth said. "You're talking 50,000 jobs. Are you ready to face that?''

Miller conceded that annexation could cause "issues'' related to the operation of Vernon's municipal utilities, noting the city owns and operates its own water, power and gas services.

However, he also noted that Vernon had $190 million in revenues and $381 million in expenses in 2007-08.

"Should Vernon cease to exist as a charter city, the most viable candidate for annexation would be the city of Los Angeles, and it may be in our mutual interests to proceed with the process,'' Miller said. "Accordingly, we recommend pursuing the matter through voluntary annexation, or, should the state pursue involuntary dissolution, through an alternative process through the state.''

Vernon was incorporated in 1905, bounded by Los Angeles, Commerce, Bell, Maywood and Huntington Park. It spans 5.2 square miles and has a population of about 100.

In the past, according to Miller, Los Angeles consolidated governmental operations with a handful of independent communities, including Eagle Rock, Hollywood, Hyde Park, Sawtelle, San Pedro, Venice and Wilmington. The last consolidation was approved in 1932 when Tujunga became part of Los Angeles.

Vernon's former city administrator was indicted in October in the latest scandal in the industrial city just southeast of downtown, which has been controlled for decades by a few families and their associates.

All of Vernon's voters live in city-owned housing for which they pay below-market rent, and that is believed to influence how they vote.

Several Vernon officials have made between $500,000 and $1 million a year since 2005, with former city attorney and city administrator Eric T. Fresch making as much as $1.65 million in 2008. The officials traveled first- class on trips to New York and Europe and stayed at luxury hotels, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Three years ago, Vernon's longtime mayor was charged with voter fraud and the city administrator was charged with public corruption. Prosecutors said then-mayor Leonis Malburg lived in a mansion in Hancock Park and lied for years about living in Vernon. He was convicted last year.

Bruce Malkenhorst, the former city administrator, awaits trial on charges that he misappropriated tens of thosuands of dollars.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Bell councilman says everything went through city manager]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Bell-councilman-says-everything-went-through-city-manager.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">115583764</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 8 Feb 2011 17:29:55 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[The only member of the Bell City Council not criminally charged as a result of the public corruption probe testified Tuesday that former City Manager Robert Rizzo virtually ruled the small blue-collar city in Southeast Los Angeles County.

'Everything had to go through' Rizzo, Lorenzo Velez testified on the second day of the preliminary hearing for six of the eight current and former city officials charged in the case.

Velez told the court that any issue to come before the Bell City Council had to first be approved by Rizzo.

'He wanted to authorize everything that needed to be done,' Velez said.

Superior Court Judge Henry J. Hall will determine if there is enough evidence to require them to stand trial on charges that they helped loot the small Los Angeles suburb of about $5.5 million.

In what is expected to continue through Thursday at the downtown courthouse, Hall is first hearing the case against Mayor Oscar Hernandez, 63; Vice Mayor Teresa Jacobo, 53; Councilman George Mirabal, 61, and former councilmen Luis Artiga, 49; George Cole, 61; and Victor Bello, 52.

After finishing the current preliminary hearing for the six defendants, Hall is expected to hear evidence next week against Rizzo, 57; former Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia, 52; as well as additional charges against Hernandez and Artiga.

Rizzo is also charged with conflict of interest and misappropriation of records in a separate case that is expected to be heard last and to take about a day.

'Never in the history of the state of California has there been a case where the members of a city council [have been charged with] paying themselves illegal salaries,' Deputy District Attorney Edward Miller told the judge Monday in an opening statement. 'The facts are so extreme.'

In summing up the 20 charges facing the three current and three former members of the Bell City Council, Miller told of city commissions that either never met or met only a few times, but resulted in huge salaries for council members.

Ron Kaye, Cole's attorney, tried Tuesday to get Velez to admit that he was also paid for his role in two of the allegedly phantom city agencies.
Velez, however, denied the charge, telling the judge that 'I really didn't [know] that I was participating in these two committees' since the meetings supposedly took place during city council meetings.

Velez was expected to resume testifying Wednesday, followed on the stand by the Bell city clerk.

The eight officials were arrested Sept. 21 in connection with allegations that they bilked taxpayers out of roughly $5.5 million through hefty salaries, benefits and illicit loans of public money.

The eight have pleaded not guilty, and all but Bello have been freed on bail.

Rizzo and other top city officials stepped down last July after the salary scandal broke.

The City Council members, who were earning almost $100,000 a year, significantly slashed their pay, but most balked at calls for their resignations.

Artiga announced last October that he was leaving his post, saying 'it's in the best interest for the city of Bell that I resign.'

Lawyers for six current and former Bell City Council members said their clients have rejected plea deals that would have brought them two-year prison terms in exchange for admitting guilt and paying back all the money they allegedly looted from the city treasury.
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			<title><![CDATA[Study underway on trail that will connect Baldwin Hills to the beach]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Study-underway-on-trail-that-will-connect-Baldwin-Hills-to-the-beach-115698874.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">115698874</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:45:13 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[In about five years, hikers will be able to take an uninterrupted trek from Ballona Creek to the Stocker Corridor in South Los Angeles.

That is the vision articulated by backers of the 'Park to Playa' trail project, which will connect 13 miles from Baldwin Hills to the Ballona Creek bike path, where an existing trail already extends to Santa Monica.

The trail path was originally the brainchild of environmentalist Terry Tamminen, who pictured creating access points in the Baldwin Hills area and connecting them to the beach. Eleven years later, the project is the subject of a $150,000 study by Alta Planning & Design, which was hired by the state Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority.

Called the Park to Playa Trail Feasibility Study, it will define the location and design of the eastern portion of the trail, which is expected to pass through several parks and jurisdictions in the Baldwin Hills area, beginning east at the Stocker Corridor and connecting parts of the trail systems of Ruben Ingold Park, Norman O. Houston Park, Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area and the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook to the west.

The study will also look at various funding strategies — including Prop. A park funds allotted to the Baldwin Hills Regional Conservation Authority — for each phase, with the initial stage expected to commence within the next year. Currently, the County of Los Angeles is starting work on some pieces of the geographic puzzle.

'The Park to Playa Feasibility Study is a major step toward establishing the first regional urban trail in metropolitan Los Angeles,' Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. 'The trail will give bikers and pedestrians continuous access to all of the open space and recreational amenities along the Ballona Creek and in the Baldwin Hills.'

While the county operates a number of regional trails, there is no system that goes through the heart of Los Angeles. As envisioned, the trail will provide transit alternatives that could lure motorists out of their vehicles.

'Very exciting stuff,' said Culver City Council Vice Mayor Micheal O'Leary. 'Sometimes the stars all align in your favor.'

However, a number of challenges exist, said county officials. One involves designing and designating the trail access from Ballona Creek, where the bike trail ends, into the Baldwin Hills area. Implementing the project will consist of building the trail in areas where it does not currently exist, and placing signage in areas where it does.

The Baldwin Hills Regional Conservation Authority, created through a joint powers agreement between the county and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, allocated some funding to the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA) for the feasibility study. As part of it, the consultant will look at the alignments and try to determine what paths will make the most sense.

Another barrier revolves around the ability to acquire land. 

'We aren't able to acquire everything but we are going piece by piece,' said David McNeill, executive officer of the Baldwin Hills Conservancy, who noted that the conservancy is actively trying to appease land owners. 'A lot of our efforts are in building these trails and making these connections. ... The goal is to find continuous open space that we can use.'

Though the majority of the land is already in the public domain, there are a number of different jurisdictions that are involved. There is property owned and operated by Culver City, the California State Park system, the County of Los Angeles, the Baldwin Hills Conservation Authority, energy firm Plains Exploration & Production Company and a number of silent partners. 

'The State, LA County, and Cities of LA and Culver City are all land owners along this trail,' Ridley-Thomas said, 'and it is fundamental that we continue to collaborate in order to achieve this regional vision.' 

And that includes engaging the public. 

On Jan. 25, the office of County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority hosted a public workshop where residents were asked for input on what types of trail should be installed, where the trail should go within the parks, how to make connections to park facilities and other community destinations and what features or amenities should be present along the way.

Throughout the study, which will be completed this summer, officials will further encourage residents to weigh in on suggestions, recommend-ations and an outline strategy. In the meantime, those who wish to provide feedback can either attend Baldwin Hills Conservancy and Baldwin Hills Regional Conservation Authority board meetings or take a survey at www.surveymonkey.com/park2playa.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Water district demonstrates conservation through landscaping]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Water-district-demonstrates-conservation-through-landscaping-115753784.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">115753784</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:20:38 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[LAKEWOOD —  Colorful plants and lush green shrubs and bushes surround the building and along the parking lot fences, but the Water Replenishment District of Southern California spends very little on maintaining the landscaping and even less on watering it.

That's because the plants are all native California plants and are drought resistant because of their need for very little water, explains Elsa Lopez, manager of external affairs for the regional water agency at 4040 Paramount Blvd.

The Urban Garden Exhibit shows how residents can have well landscaped properties while saving water and money, Lopez said, noting that the site is available to the public free of charge 24 hours a day.

'Many people going to Wal-Mart next door for plants stop here first to see how drought-resistant plants look, and Wal-Mart personnel often send customers over here to see the plants,  which are available at the store as well as Home Depot and other garden centers,' Lopez said.

Irrigation is done by the drip method, in which small holes in the pipes allow minimal water to seep into the ground. The irrigation system is programmed by a computer and turns on the water in the evenings at specific times in specific amounts depending on what type of plant is at that location.

Most sections receive only six to 10 minutes of dripping water a day and the system only operates during summer months.

It has been closed down since last September and won't resume until June, Lopez said, pointing out that none of the plants and shrubs appear to be suffering from a lack of water.

"Concerning maintenance, we do some occasional trimming and pruning,' Lopez said. 'The clippings are not thrown away. They are given to people for  recycling.'

There are 40 to 60 different types of plants and shrubs, ranging from the Catalina Cherry tree, which grows 15 to 40 feet high and wide; Big Red Kangaroo Paw, an evergreen with fuzzy red flowers that look like claws; and the Coral Bells, tufts of round leaves two to three inches wide with scalloped edges on a 24-inch tall stem with clusters of red and pink bell-shaped flowers, all listed in catalogs available at the water district office.

And while many view strawberries as a ground plant, Lopez notes there is a strawberry tree which grows four to five feet high and has edible red berries. It is a favorite snack of a cat that lives on the grounds, she said.

Many naturalists say they want the real thing when it comes to landscaping, but the district also displays a patch of synthetic grass, which needs no watering or mowing. It is in the corner of the parking lot occupied by a table and chairs depicting a backyard patio.

'Artificial turf is often wanted by senior citizens who can't afford spending a lot of money for watering and mowing,' Lopez said. 'It looks and feels like [real grass]. When it rains, the turf lets the water through to percolate into the ground.'

Lopez said that all plants on the grounds are non-toxic and the artificial turf has been tested for lead and is fireproof.

Created by state voters in 1959, the Water Replenishment District is charged with replenishing water pumped from the ground by cities and private water providers. Currently, most of the water used for replenishment has to be purchased from the Metropolitan Water District, which brings water to Southern California from the Sacramento River Delta region in the northern part of the state, and the Colorado River.

The district hopes that by 2013 it will no longer have to buy the more expensive outside water through a program of ground storage, recycling and conservation, including the promotion of drought-resistant plants

'When we moved here in March 2006 we found that the landscape needed too much water and the ground was sloped so a lot of water flowed into the street,' Lopez said. 'We removed everything and put in the drought-resistant landscaping with a $100,000 state grant.'

The five-member elected board and district staff at that time sought to make the new site a conservation teaching tool and hired the private firm of Water Wise Consultants of Arcadia to install the Eco Gardens. 

Personnel from the firm also teach Smart Gardening classes and other workshops on drought-resistant plants in various cities sponsored by the district.

At the workshops, those attending learn what plants would 'fit best' on their properties. At many of the free workshops, there is a mobile computer lab in which a resident can design the landscaping at his home, Lopez said.

Several similar urban gardens may be found in the area,  but the district's is an award winner.

'We recently received the Theodore Roosevelt Environmental Award from the Association of California Water agencies for Excellence in Natural Resource Management,' Lopez said.
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			<title><![CDATA[Saddam Hussein's attorney represents Charles Manson in petition]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Charles-Manson-attorney-115537624.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">115537624</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 7 Feb 2011 21:13:50 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[(CNN) — Prominent attorney Giovanni Di Stefano, who has represented former Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein and his right-hand man, "Chemical Ali," or Ali Hassan al-Majid, is representing Charles Manson in his attempt for a new trial, Di Stefano told CNN on Monday.

Di Stefano has filed an application with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on behalf of Manson, he said. The petition says Manson didn't receive a fair trial when he was convicted 40 years ago because, among other things, he was not allowed to represent himself, Di Stefano said.

The prosecutor in the Manson case, however, said Di Stefano's claim has no merit.

Manson was assigned a public defender after the judge in his case became frustrated with Manson's behavior while he was acting as his own attorney.

Di Stefano said that was a violation of Manson's Sixth Amendment rights and is grounds for a new trial.

Di Stefano said he wants Manson's case to be reviewed in the federal courts in the United States. Because of the notorious clients he has represented, he has been dubbed "the devil's advocate." He lives in Italy.

In a telephone interview with CNN, Stefano said he is working on the case because he believes in justice, even though the murders Manson is accused of orchestrating were "horrendous."

"This is a question of law," Di Stefano told CNN. "I have no interest in the facts of this case. The law is the law."

Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Manson, said he thinks Di Stefano is "wasting his time," adding that "he may be a fine lawyer and very sincere, but he's coming up against a brick wall here because there is no merit."

Bugliosi said the issue of Manson representing himself has already been ruled on by an appellate court. According to the law, it is up to the trial judge to determine whether someone should represent himself, Bugliosi said.

In this case, Bugliosi said he actually went along with Manson's request. "I felt that he might even do a better job at cross examining the witnesses than real lawyers," Bugliosi said.

However Bugliosi said he believes there is no way Manson could have done everything himself. "He needed counsel to help him," Bugliosi said.

Di Stefano said he believes there were other flaws with Manson's trial, including what he claims was a lack of any proof that Manson told his followers to commit murder.

Manson was convicted of ordering the 1969 "Helter Skelter" murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others.

Manson was originally given the death penalty, but the sentence was changed to life in prison when California temporarily abolished the death penalty in 1972.

Manson is a prisoner at Corcoran State Prison in California, where he's housed in a protective unit.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Judge: There's enough evidence so far to keep convicted sex offender in custody ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Orange-County-sex-offender-custody-115512439.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">115512439</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 7 Feb 2011 13:28:35 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — An Orange County judge ruled Monday there is enough evidence for authorities to keep a convicted child sex offender in custody and for prosecutors to continue their efforts to have him declared a sexually violent predator so he can be held indefinitely.

Superior Court Judge Patrick Donahue's ruling means the next legal step for Lawrence Joseph Brown is to appear at a probable cause hearing, when it will be determined if prosecutors have presented enough evidence for a jury trial on a petition to declare Brown a sexually violent predator.

If the jury rules he is too dangerous to be released, then Brown would be held indefinitely in a mental health institution where psychiatric experts will attempt to rehabilitate him.

Brown, 52, had his parole revoked Dec. 22, meaning he would be held for 90 days and then would be released. Donahue's ruling Monday gave jurisdiction over Brown to Orange County authorities, so he will now be held in an area jail while prosecutors seek to prove he is a sexually violent predator who is likely to sexually attack more children if he is free.

To have Brown declared a sexually violent predator, prosecutors must show he has committed at least one sexually violent offense, that he has been diagnosed with a mental disorder, and that he is likely to do it again if he is set free.

In Brown's case, his main mental disorder is pedophilia, Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown said.

Brown had served 25 years of a 49-year sentence for sexually assaulting two girls, aged 7 and 8, in Santa Ana in 1983.

Orange County prosecutors almost lost any chance to seek the SVP petition for Brown when a deputy warden at the California Institution for Men in Chino ordered him released Nov. 17. But when Brown violated parole by letting his girlfriend pick him up from prison, he was taken back into custody and it allowed prosecutors time to seek the SVP petition.

Brown noted the convicted child molester has continued to deny guilt and even asked prosecutors to use DNA tests to clear him in 2009. But those tests revealed that his genetic material was found on the underwear of one of the girls he attacked, the prosecutor said.

Brown abducted an 8-year-old girl playing hide-and-seek with her friends near her Santa Ana home on April 19, 1983, and forced her to orally copulate him before raping her.

On Oct. 5 that same year, Brown abducted a 7-year-old girl as she walked to school in Santa Ana. He dragged the youngster, a recent immigrant from Cambodia, into his red van where he raped her and forced her to orally copulate him.

Brown threatened the girl with a knife and drove her to a cemetery and told her she would be buried there if she told anyone.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Former state hospital director convicted of sexually abusing adopted foster son ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Claude-Foulk-convicted-sexual-abuse-hospital-director-115255074.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">115255074</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 3 Feb 2011 23:27:04 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[LONG BEACH — The former executive director of a state mental hospital was convicted Thursday of 31 charges for sexually molesting his adopted foster son for about a decade.

The Long Beach Superior Court jury deliberated about two days before returning its verdict against 63-year-old Claude Edward Foulk Jr., who was the head of the Napa State Hospital when he was arrested last February. Jurors acquitted him of four other charges.

Foulk, who has been jailed on $3.5 million bail since he was taken into custody, is facing between 93 and 248 years in state prison, according to Deputy District Attorney Danette Gomez. Sentencing is scheduled Feb. 23 before Judge James B. Pierce.

The seven-man, five-woman jury found Foulk guilty of 20 counts of forcible oral copulation, nine counts of sodomy by use of force and two counts of lewd act upon a child involving crimes that occurred between October 1992 and October 2002.

The panel acquitted him of two counts each of forcible oral copulation and sodomy by use of force, which involves alleged crimes in 2002 and 2003 after the boy turned 18 but was still living with him.

Foulk, who had headed the state mental hospital since 2007, was terminated by the California Department of Mental Health on the day of his arrest.

Foulk testified in his own defense during his trial and denied that he had molested his  son, who is now in his 20s. He also denied molesting four other men who claim that they were sexually molested by him as children — one dating back to 1966.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed ... It was our position that it never happened,'' defense attorney Richard Poland said after the verdicts were read.

During his opening statement in the trial last month, the lawyer questioned the accounts of key prosecution witnesses and told jurors that he believed they should conclude at the end of the case that the prosecution had not met its burden.

Poland questioned the credibility of Foulk's adopted son, saying that he was a "troubled child'' who "has been a thief'' and "taken anything that he could,'' including a coin collection that had belonged to Foulk's father and was pawned.

The prosecutor countered that the evidence showed that Foulk enticed the boys — who largely came from dysfunctional and poor families — with camping trips and showered them with gifts and toys and then stole their innocence.

The son was in the foster care system his entire life and was 9 when he went to live with Foulk and was eventually adopted by him, Gomez said. The two lived in Long Beach and Rancho Murieta.

The prosecutor told jurors that four other men, including two of Foulk's relatives, came forward to say they were sexually molested by Foulk, but those alleged crimes are outside the statute of limitations and cannot be prosecuted.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Most Bell City Council candidates would keep police department]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Most-Bell-City-Council-candidates-would-keep-police-department-115205709.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">115205709</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 3 Feb 2011 12:16:59 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[BELL — Most of the 17 candidates for the City Council in the March 8 election support the retention of the city police department, but all candidates agree that employee salary cuts must be made across the board and wasteful spending must stop if the scandal-plagued community is to survive.

The candidates spoke Tuesday night at a forum in the Community Center sponsored by the recently organized Bell Business Association.

Unlike recent City Council meetings, where angry residents have spent two or more hours yelling insults at elected officials, the audience of several hundred listened quietly as each of the candidates introduced themselves and spoke for five minutes.

No questions were allowed and no contact between the audience and candidates was allowed except for the moderator, television newsman Jesus Javier.

David Muñoz Jr., a businessman and volunteer executive director of the BBA spelled out the rules and praised all 17 candidates for wanting to help the city regain its status.

'We are excited that 17 residents answered the call to revive our community,' he said.' We face serious challenges and responsibilities to get the business of Bell in order. Economic survival will be at the forefront of their job.'

Two candidates are seeking the remaining two years of the term of Vice Mayor Teresa Jacobo, if she is recalled. Five are seeking the remaining two years of the term of Councilman Luis Artiga, who has resigned.

Ten candidates are seeking the four-year terms of Mayor Oscar Hernandez and Councilman George Mirabal, who are not seeking re-election; and Councilman Lorenzo Velez, who was appointed to his post in 2009 and is seeking his first election.

Coco Ceja, director of volunteers at the County-USC Medical Center and Danny Harber, a retired bakery worker, are seeking Jacobo's seat.
'I have lived in Bell 17 years and have a bachelor of arts in human development,' Ceja said. 'I can relate to both residents and businesses. We must eliminate waste and freeze all spending until we can approve a budget. We must only spend what we can afford.'

'I have lived in Bell for 40 years,' Harber said. 'I have a high school diploma, attended Cerritos College and have 66 years of life-time experience. I am a no-nonsense type of guy and will not accept excuses.

'We must sit down with the police and decide how to cut costs so we can restructure and retain our officers. We must cut all employee salaries and seek funds from the federal government. I will not accept a salary or health benefits for being on the council,' he said.

Janice Leal Bass, the wife of former Councilman George Bass, is one of five seeking Artiga's seat. She is a retired teacher who has lived in the city for 43 years and has a degree from Mount St. Mary's College.

'We must come out of this stronger and more unified,' she said. 'We should keep the Bell Police Department but must make cuts in their budget. I support youth and senior programs.'

She also called for no new taxes and pledged to lower taxes on local businesses.

Also seeking to replace Artiga were Miguel Alejandro Sanchez, Ana Maria Quintana, Lorenzo Miguel Martinez and Donald Tavares.

Sanchez, who calls himself a para-educator, is a 32-year resident of the city and a volunteer for 16 years. 'We need to be transparent,' he said. 'We should look at all vendors who want to do business with the city. I want to keep the police department but they must work with us to cut salaries. We should cut all high employee salaries across the board, keep the parks open and reform the business license policy. We should look carefully at all spending and cut property taxes.' 

Quintana, an attorney and organizer in the Latino community, has lived in Bell only since last year but was raised in the area. She has a master's degree in economics and a law degree.

'I have legal and financial experience,' she said. 'I would hire a grant seeker and form a Community Development Commission to work with businesses.'

Martinez, a truck driver active in his union and a 37-year resident of Bell, said he would work with local businesses and protect them from big enterprises coming into the  city.

'I have been fighting corruption in the area for years and was among those who tried to save the Maywood Police Department,' he said. 'I will be guided by what the community wants.'

Taveres, employed in transportation and logistics, said he has lived in Bell 21 years.

'Safety is an area of importance,' he said. 'I want to make the city safer for pedestrians and bicyclists and to eliminate the business tax.'

The 10 candidates for four-year terms are appointed incumbent Lorenzo Velez, Guillermo 'Willie' Aguilar, Nestor Valencia, Estela Mota, Violeta Alvarez, Mario Rivas, Ali Saleh, Imelda Serrano, Fidencio Joel Gallardo and Marcos Oliva.

Velez is a heavy duty equipment  operator  for the city of Los Angeles and has lived in Bell for 30 years.

'I was active in the community long before my appointment to the  City Council in 2009,' he said. 'I am concerned about public safety. I am here to make sure that and sports programs are preserved.'

Aguilar, a general contractor, said 'I have always been active and I don't want to divide the community, but there are still some individuals we must fire. 'I am for the Bell Police Department. I will not put a price on safety.'

Valencia, a health care administrator, said he has lived in Bell since 1977 and has been active in the community.

'We need independence on the City Council,' he said. 'I will appoint a commission to improve parks and lower property taxes. I will bring honor back to Bell.'

Mota, a business woman and Realtor, has lived in Bell for 41 years and has been active in the PTA at her children's schools.

She pledges 'no new taxes' and suggests the city sell its surplus properties to private individuals to bring in business and create jobs.

Alvarez, a social service worker, has lived in Bell for 34 years. She has a degree in social service and has been in that profession for 19 years.

'I want to be an example to the community,' she said. 'I would partner with business and conduct workshops to help businesses grow.'

Rivas, a 22-year resident of Bell and a graduate of Bell High School, is a recycling coordinator in neighboring Huntington Park and served in the U.S. Marines for 12 years. He's currently a lieutenant in the National Guard.

'We need to attract business and be a transparent government,' he said. 'I want to see everyone calm. No more yelling and name-calling among residents. I believe in public safety but [the police department] must fit into our budget.'

Saleh is a small business owner, a member of the Bell Business Association and a co-founder of BASTA, a resident group.

'I am a lifelong resident of Bell and operate the business started by my father,' he said. 'I will work to bring the city back.'

Serrano has lived in Bell 18 years and is the mother of two children. She is a student at East Los Angeles College seeking a degree in business administration.

Gallardo is an English teacher who has lived in Bell 16 years. He graduated from Bell High School in 1985 and has been a teacher for 21 years.

'I am experienced in working with students and the community,' he said. 'We need to rebuild trust. I see Bell as a way to bring in business and change. Public  safety is a priority but the police budget must be reformed.'

Oliva, a programmer/analyst, is a native of San Salvador and has lived in Bell for 20 years.

'I am familiar with abuse by government,' he said. 'There are many things we need to change. We will call on the community to help us. Public safety is important regardless of who  provides it.'
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			<title><![CDATA[L.A. City Council stands ground on Wilshire bus-only lanes]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/MTA-bus-only-rapid-lanes-Wilshire-city-council-Los-Angeles-115176094.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">115176094</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 3 Feb 2011 05:02:29 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[The Los Angeles City Council refused Wednesday to sign off on a proposal to further shorten proposed rush-hour bus-only lanes on Wilshire Boulevard.

Councilman Bill Rosendahl had called on his colleagues to "affirm support'' for exempting all of the Westside from what's currently a 7.7-mile, non-continuous route from South Park View Street at MacArthur Park to Centinela Avenue, and to settle instead for a 5.4-mile route to San Vicente Boulevard.

The council, however, agreed only to study the truncated route instead of endorsing it outright to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which will be implementing the project.

Rosendahl complained that the gaps in the 7.7-mile route — through Beverly Hills and "condo canyon'' in the Westside — could worsen the already nightmarish traffic gridlock in his 11th District.

He called for taking out the remainder of the route located on the Westside — in Brentwood — so that the bus-only lanes would not go past Beverly Hills toward Santa Monica.

"If I had my druthers, there'd be 15 miles of a bus-only lane from the beach to downtown, and Santa Monica and Beverly Hills played with us,'' Rosendahl said. "Right now, with this splintered and fragmented Westside, it even makes it more congested in my district and it saves no time for bus riders or cars. It's a disaster as a cluster of little segments.''

Councilman Richard Alarcon argued the longer route would result in faster travel times for a greater number of people. He added it would create more jobs and make the city eligible for a larger share of federal funding.

Metro officials have said the project — as it currently stands — could receive as much as $23.3 million in funding from the Federal Transit Authority. That represents almost three-quarters of the project's $31.5-million cost.

"Stay the course,'' Alarcon told Rosendahl. "Who's going to use this (bus-only lanes)? Working-class folks who need to get down Wilshire Boulevard. If Santa Monica and Beverly Hills aren't with it, they'll be. They'll need to see us get there first.''

Councilman Tony Cardenas let Rosendahl down firmly, saying, "No way.''

Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Association, which represents 1,100 homes adjacent to the project, insisted that putting bus-only lanes on the Westside has no benefits.

"The time-save stops when you hit La Cienega Boueveard or San Vicente,'' she said, citing a study commissioned by her organization. "After that, there is no time saved for the bus, and there is time lost for the automobile.''

Brad McAllister, a transportation planner for Metro, said having bus- only lanes would reduce travel time for buses by about 1 minute per mile, while delaying cars by 1 minute per mile.

"Overall, this corridor will move more people,'' he told the council. "The bus service will improve, and that will allow us to move more people. There will be a slight one-minute-per-mile delay for autos traveling that, but we're getting to the point on Wilshire where we're looking at how we move people. We aren't going to be able to fit many more cars on Wilshire.''   "The longer the stretch (of bus-only lanes), the better the benefit,'' added the interim general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Amid Sedadi.

Sunyoung Yang, lead organizer of the Bus Riders Union, urged the council to look at the bigger picture.

"We think that the city should not just cave in to the interests of a few powerful homeowners and look at the progress that we need to make in this,'' she said. "This project has been delayed for 10 years already. It's been studied to death.''

The proposed route has already been shortened once. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky convinced his colleagues on the Metro board to take out the mile-long stretch in the "condo canyon'' area between Comstock and Selby avenues.

The bus-only lanes are intended to run weekdays during rush hour, from 7- 9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. starting in 2013.

Metro is currently conducting environmental impact reports on the proposed routes, which it plans to submit to the council for approval in April.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Gov. Brown: 'California faces a crisis that is real and unprecedented']]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Brown-state-tax-increases-speech-114988499.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114988499</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:56:06 PST</pubDate>
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																										<description><![CDATA[(CNNMoney) — Californians should decide whether they want to pay $12 billion more in taxes to help plug the state's massive budget shortfall, said Gov. Jerry Brown Monday.

In his State of the State address, Brown urged legislators to put his plan to extend income and sales tax hikes on the ballot in a special election in June. If they don't, the governor said the state will see even harsher spending cuts than the $12.5 billion he is proposing.

"At this moment of extreme difficulty, it behooves us to turn to the people and get a clear mandate on how we should proceed — either to extend the taxes, as I fervently believe, or to cut deeply into the programs from which, under federal law, we can still extract the sums required," said Brown

Brown, who just started his third term after serving as California's governor in the 1970s and 1980s, has laid out a plan to solve the state's $25.4 billion budget shortfall that hinges on voters approving an extension of tax hikes first passed in 2009 to address an earlier shortfall. 

The tax proposals include renewing a quarter-percentage point increase in personal income tax rates, which expired at the end of 2010, and maintaining a 1 percentage point bump in the sales tax, which lapses at the end of June. The higher rates would remain in effect for five years.

For Brown's plan to work, two-thirds of lawmakers would have to agree to put the tax measure on the ballot. And they would have to act by March.

The governor said it would be "unconscionable" to deny voters the choice between raising taxes or chopping "another $12 billion out of schools, public safety, our universities and our system of caring for the most vulnerable."

Getting lawmakers' support, however, won't be easy, especially since the plan has already aroused much opposition from many quarters. Last year, the state legislature wrangled over the budget with then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, until October.

In Monday's address, Brown, a Democrat, urged tax-adverse Republicans to support his plan, jokingly saying he'd like to see more GOP lawmakers clapping. He also said he was open to alternatives.

Getting the tax extension on the ballot is only the first step. Brown must then convince residents to approve it. That could be a high hurdle in the Golden State, where the people in November voted down a motor vehicle surcharge to fund state parks and made it harder for legislators to raise fees.

Voters, however, may be willing to help the state avoid a fiscal disaster this time. Some 53% of respondents to a Public Policy Institute of California poll released last week said they would support the tax extension.

Even if the measure is approved, Brown's budget still calls for slashing spending by $12.5 billion.

The cuts would fall heavily on the low-income and the needy. The budget strips $1.7 billion from Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, and $1.5 billion from its welfare-to-work initiative.

Also, the state's college systems — the University of California and California State University — would each lose $500 million.

Brown has already taken several small steps to bring down the cost of running the state. Last week, he directed all departments to immediately halt new car purchases and turn in taxpayer-funded cars not essential to state business. Earlier, he ordered agencies to turn in 48,000 government-paid cell phones.

The cuts could be even deeper if voters don't approve the tax increases, Brown said. Schools, universities, prisons, local public safety and health programs would suffer.

"Given the unique nature of the crisis and the serious impact our decisions will have on millions of Californians, whether it's more cuts or extend taxes, the voters deserve to be heard," he said.

Brown's speech was not all gloom-and-doom. He praised California's strengths and said its economy is on the mend. But balancing the budget is a crucial step toward recovery. 

"Although our state's economy is starting to recover, we'll not create the jobs we need unless we put our own financial house in order," he said.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Silverio sentencing delayed again]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Silverio-sentencing-delayed-again-114816394.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114816394</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:24:05 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[COMPTON — Sentencing was delayed again Friday for former Firebaugh High School principal and volleyball coach Jonas Vital Silverio.

It was rescheduled for Feb. 18.

The sentencing hearing has been rescheduled twice due to paperwork mix-ups. This time, though, defense attorney Leonard Levine was not in attendance, a fact that did not make Compton Superior Court Judge John Cheroske very happy.
 
Cheroske told a stand-in for Levine, Jackie Stein, that come Feb. 18, Levine had better show up in court even if he had to come in on a gurney.

Cheroske questioned Levine's whereabouts at the start of the hearing, telling  Stein that he had received a request from Levine's office to postpone Friday's sentencing because Levine was in the closing stages of a lengthy murder trial in Orange County. 

Cheroske said he had taken the liberty of calling the Orange County Superior Courthouse to ask if they could 'let us borrow' Levine for Friday's hearing, but was told that the courthouse was dark on Fridays.

'So that makes me wonder what you are doing here, instead of him,' Cheroske told Stein.

Cheroske said he called Levine's office back and was told by Levine's assistant Scott Evans that Levine would get back to him.

'Well, I didn't hear back from him,' Cheroske said.

Stein told the judge that she had called Cheroske's clerk at around 3'30 p.m. Thursday on behalf of Levine, but the judge silenced her and told her that he was at the courthouse until 4 p.m. and had not received a telephone call from her.

Stein also explained that Levine had been involved in a car accident several weeks ago and had to go to physical therapy, but because the murder trial had  taken most of his time, he had to use the days when the court was dark to go to therapy.

Stein also said Levine submitted his request to postpone the hearing because he needed to review the prosecution's final sentencing hearing memorandum.

Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Chavez 'strongly objected' to the postponement, citing that two of the victims in the case have been ready to give their impact statements twice already.

'Mr. Levine was supposed to be here. We scheduled the hearing on a Friday because that's when the O.C. court is dark,' Chavez said. Per the sentencing hearing memo, she said' 'There is nothing extraordinary in that memo that [Levine] is not already aware of.'

The memo she said basically details the prosecution's request for Silverio to do eight years in prison, followed by five years probation.

That is why the people object to any more delays, Chavez told the judge, adding that she had not been informed about Levine's car accident.

'Well I object to it too,' Cheroske told Chavez. 'Especially since it has been seven months since Silverio entered his plea … but I'm stuck. [Levine] didn't show up, and [Stein] can't stand in for the sentencing hearing. I am very disappointed … and this is very peculiar, but we can't proceed without [Silverio's] lawyer.'

Last June, Silverio pleaded no contest to 10 counts of sexually molesting four female students between 14 and 15 years of age.
Silverio's attorney is hoping for a probationary sentence.

Silverio also could be credited with 18 months time served since he has remained in Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles since his arrest in July 2009.

Silverio was originally being held on $1.2 million bail, but he has been on no-bail status since entering his guilty plea.

The former principal is now scheduled to return to Dept. D at Compton Superior Court on Feb. 18 for an 8'30 a.m. sentencing hearing.
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			<title><![CDATA[Lacking a quorum, Bell council can't act]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Lacking-a-quorum-Bell-council-cant-act-114825604.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114825604</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:31:53 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[BELL — An action plan proposing ways to balance the city's budget was ready but there was no action taken on it Thursday because a majority of the City Council failed to show up.

After a 45-minute delay, interim City Attorney James Casso said Mayor Oscar Hernandez and Vice Mayor Teresa Jacobo had sent word that they would not attend. With only Councilmen Lorenzo Velez and George Mirabal on hand, there was no quorum and the meeting was postponed until Feb. 7, Casso said.

A new council will take up the budget issues after the March 8 municipal election.

In his action plan, interim Chief Administrative Officer Pedro Carrillo laid out a set of options for council consideration including a 10- to 20-percent cut in employee pay and benefits, the removal of many health and overtime benefits for police officers, as well as the actual disbanding of the 33-member police department and signing a contract with the county Sheriff's Department for police services.

Several hundred residents jammed into the council chambers while others waited by a loud speaker outside. Many had come to support the police department although several said health and pension benefits of the officers were excessive and should be changed. The Bell Police Officers Association had previously announced a willingness to negotiate 'temporary' changes until the city is financially stable.

In a written report for the City Council, Carrillo said the city faces a $3.5 to $4.5 million deficit by the end of the fiscal year June 30. He said the county's previous estimate of a $2 million deficit did not take into account one-time extraordinary expenses the city will incur which are the result of the legal challenges the City is facing, along with any funds the city may be required to repay to its residents as the result of costs and claims filed for a variety of fees and charges that were previously imposed.

Carrillo said that for years salaries of employees, including police officers, were established by the previous administrator with many not justified for the services rendered. He also said the city curebtly does not require employees to pay toward their pension and health benefits, as the city pays both the employee and employer parts. The health benefits include dental and vision coverage for police officers and their families.

Concerning pensions, the city pays the total cost of $666,877 to the California Public Retirement System for the 12 non-sworn police department employees and $828,289 for the 33 sworn officers.

Under the current agreement with the Bell Police Officers Association, no administrative approval is needed for officer overtime and detectives receive $100 a day 'stand-by pay' to be ready in case they are called to duty by some incident.

He notes that currently Police Department expenses total $8.47 million a year or about 68 percent of the total city spending. By contracting with the Sheriff's Department for about $5 million a year, the city would save approximately $3.5 million, almost the amount of the expected deficit.

However, Carrillo said there are advantages to a city having its own police agency including general control of operations, with the police chief part of the administrative process.

Carrillo left the retention of the police department up to the City Council, but recommended terminating all post-employment benefit plans funded by the city and reducing the salaries of non-public safety officers.
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			<title><![CDATA[School police officer free on bail in wake of alleged false report]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/hoax-el-camino-real-high-school-police-officer-shooting-114819674.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114819674</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:13:51 PST</pubDate>
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																																						<description><![CDATA[A Los Angeles School Police officer who allegedly lied about being shot by a burglary suspect near El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, prompting a neighborhood lockdown and police dragnet, was free on bail Friday but was expected to be quickly fired.

Officer Jeff Stenroos, 30, was arrested at 6'30 p.m. Thursday by the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division on suspicion of felony filing a false police report, according to inmate records. He was booked at 10'04 p.m. and released on $20,000 bail at 11'49 p.m.

The officer's report of being shot in the chest Jan. 19 near El Camino Real High sparked a massive manhunt involving 350 police officers and sheriff's deputies in Woodland Hills, and the lockdown of nine schools in the area that affected thousands of students, their parents and residents. Thousands of students were restricted to their classrooms, with little food and no bathroom breaks for as many as five or six hours.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Ramon Cortines issued an apology to everyone affected by the lockdowns and the dragnet through Woodland Hills, and said Stenroos would be fired.

"I have directed our general counsel David Holmquist and Los Angeles School Police Chief [Steve] Zipperman to immediately relieve him of duty and begin the process for immediate dismissal,'' Cortines said.

"... Although Jeff Stenroos was an eight-year veteran of the Los Angeles School Police, his actions in no way reflect the professionalism and integrity of the men and women who protect and serve this district every day,'' he said. "I have absolute confidence in our new chief of police and the department. Chief Zipperman is cooperating with the LAPD in the investigation of this deception, and as our new leader of the department is examining every aspect of this situation.''

Zipperman said Stenroos had been relieved of duty and placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues. He said Stenroos' arrest was "as shocking to us as it is to anyone else.''

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck provided few details of Stenroos' alleged hoax, saying the investigation was continuing. But he minced no words about his anger.

"I was furious,'' Beck said, referring to when he found out the officer had been lying. "I don't think it helps the objective nature of a criminal prosecution for me to talk about the emotions involved. Let's put it this way' I was extremely disappointed. I was not at all happy with this individual's actions. I think that he caused an immense amount of pain to many members of the city of Los Angeles — be they employees, or be they residents — through his misinformation. And that led to his prosecution. I will prosecute him vigorously.''

What exactly happened the day of the alleged shooting remained a mystery. Stenroos told police that day he was approached man who was allegedly trying to break into vehicles in the 5500 block of Manton Avenue, and the man shot Stenroos once in the chest, police said.

Stenroos was wearing a bulletproof vest which authorities last week said saved him from serious injury. Stenroos was released from a Northridge hospital about seven hours after the shooting. Doctors said he suffered a bruise to his chest, as well as bruises on his back and back of the head from falling.

Mike Brodey, a good Samaritan who saw the injured Stenroos, went to the officer's side, and even got on Stenroos' police radio to call for help.

Brodey told CBS2 on Friday he "was completely fooled.'' He said he was "very disappointed that he's tarnished the image of the police force here that serves the school of El Camino.''

In the days that followed, law enforcement, city and other officials pledged $100,000 in reward money for information leading to an arrest and conviction of whoever shot Stenroos.

But Beck said such a suspect doesn't exist.

"The current state of the investigation refutes Stenroos' initial account of the incident and we are now certain that there is no outstanding suspect in this shooting,'' Beck said.

Los Angeles Police Protective League President Paul Weber said "the law enforcement community is disgusted upon learning that Mr. Stenroos filed a false police report and apparently may have shot himself.''

"His lies set in motion the largest search for a suspect in recent history and inconvenienced thousands of people for hours,'' Weber said. "If these allegations are proven true, Mr. Stenroos is now where he belongs, behind bars.''

City Councilman Dennis Zine, who convinced his colleagues to approve a $75,000 reward in the case, introduced a motion Friday asking the City Attorney's Office to sue Stenroos to recover the costs incurred by the city during the police search and investigation.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Clippers, NBA lose bids to have Baylor's suit dismissed]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Clippers-NBA-lose-bids-to-have-Baylors-suit-dismissed-114742389.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114742389</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 12:45:21 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[Bids by the Los Angeles Clippers and the NBA to have former general manager Elgin Baylor's race and age discrimination lawsuit against the team dismissed were tentatively rejected Thursday by a judge.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kenneth Freeman said he will hear additional arguments Feb. 3. He said his ruling would become final if he hears no valid objections by Feb. 7.

Team officials contend Baylor resigned in October 2008 after 22 years as general manager. But Baylor claims in his 2009 lawsuit that he was 'discriminated against and unceremoniously released from his position with the team on account of his age and his race.'

Baylor also claims he was 'grossly underpaid during his tenure with the Clippers, never earning more than $350,000 per year, when compared with the compensation scheme for general managers employed by every other team in the NBA.'

The NBA is named in the lawsuit as an alleged 'joint venturer/partner of condoning, adopting and ratifying this discriminatory practice since the league is fully aware of salaries paid to all of the general managers.'

In his ruling concerning the league, Freeman said there was a triable issue whether the NBA and the team are 'integrated enterprises' with an 'inter-relation' of operations.

Addressing the Clippers' dismissal motion, Freeman said it should be left up to a jury to decide whether the team took away Baylor's authority and responsibilities and whether team owner Donald Sterling and team president Andy Roeser ' who was present in court — made 'condescending comments' regarding Baylor's age.

At one point during the reading of his tentative ruling, Freeman stopped to admonish Clipper attorney Robert H. Platt for shaking his head as he listened to the judge. Freeman called Platt's conduct 'rude.'

'I know that the emotions in this case are very high,' Freeman said. 'People are taking great offense to these allegations.'

But Freeman said he took every word of what the lawyers were saying seriously and that Platt's 'body language' was unwarranted.

Platt replied that he intended no disrespect. He said Baylor was never fired and was implored in a September 2008 letter to him from Roeser to return to his duties with a promise of no retaliation. However, Baylor did not take advantage of the opportunity and his resignation was 
accepted about two weeks later, Platt said.

Attorney Carl Douglas, on behalf of Baylor, said he was encouraged by the tentative ruling and was optimistic the judge would hold to it when he issues a final decision.

Douglas also said he believes Freeman was swayed by a declaration from former Clipper coach Mike Dunleavy, in which he said Roeser told him in September 2008 that Baylor might be leaving the team and that he 'might be needed to assume the role of general manager.'

Dunleavy's declaration was submitted nine months before he was sued by the team for reasons related to his employment contract and whether he intended to coach for the 2010-11 season. The suit was dropped in November.

Dunleavy resigned as coach last February and remained on as general manager for a month, after which he was fired.

The Clippers qualified for the playoffs four times during Baylor's 22 seasons as general manager. He was named the NBA Executive of the Year following the 2005-06 season when the Clippers reached the Western Conference semifinals, the farthest they progressed in the playoffs since the 1975-76 season when they were the Buffalo Braves.
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			<title><![CDATA[Remembering a brother who overcame racism, and reached for the stars]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Remembering-a-brother-who-overcame-racism-and-reached-for-the-stars-114738399.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114738399</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:57:33 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[DOWNEY — Growing up in the segregated South during the 1950s, Ron McNair and his siblings attended Black schools, could not drink from White drinking fountains and had to use secondhand books at school.

It didn't keep McNair from growing up to become an astronaut, his brother Carl McNair recalled Tuesday when he spoke at the Columbia Memorial Space Center here.

Ron McNair was on the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger, the spacecraft that exploded shortly after takeoff 25 years ago Friday, killing all six astronauts on board.

Carl McNair spoke about his late brother at a book signing event at the space center here. He has written 'In the Spirit of Ronald E. McNair-Astronaut' An American Hero.'

He remarked how things have changed in this country since he and his brother were growing up in the South.

Officials and residents of Lake City, S.C., will pay tribute to Ron McNair Friday by opening the Ronald McNair Museum and Library.

'As kids, there were places we couldn't go in Lake City, but now Ron has streets and buildings named for him all over the place,' Carl McNair said Tuesday.

'It's ironic. [The late] Sen. Strom Thurmond, a staunch segregationist most of his life, worked with the family to establish the memorial,' McNair added.

His appearance Tuesday at the space center brought him to the site where the space shuttle was designed and manufactured.

The Challenger Space Flight simulator is one of the features of the center, which was named in memory of the Space Shuttle Columbia crew, who were killed in an explosion while re-entering the Earth's atmosphere on Feb. 1, 2003.

In addition to his talk and the book signing, McNair showed a 1987 film, 'The Life and Legacy of Dr. Ronald E. McNair.' 

Earlier Tuesday, he was the guest speaker at the first school named after his brother, Ronald E. McNair Elementary School in Compton.

Although his brother never let racial discrimination stop him, most young Blacks at that time never envisioned themselves as astronauts.

'We were all Trekkies,' he said, referring to fans of the television series 'Star Trek.' 'We loved Lt. Uhura,' said McNair, referring to the popular TV series of the 1960s, "Star Trek," and and the character played by Nichelle Nichols, the African-American actress who played the spaceship's communications officer.

'Ron's life was a legacy of achievement,' said McNair, noting his brother became proficient in karate and physical fitness and was a skilled saxophone player before earning a Ph.D. in physics at the renown Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.

'He loved music. He took his saxophone with him on the space flight,' McNair said.

Ron McNair and his wife and family were living in the Los Angeles area in the 1970s when NASA's call for astronauts went out.

'He was one of only 25 selected for astronaut training from among 600 Ph.D.s,' McNair said.

His first flight aboard the Challenger was successful in 1984.

'He was a risk taker. He went out the way he would have wanted to,' his brother said.

Retired from a consulting firm, Carl McNair is CEO of McNair Achievement Programs, and is the founder and president emeritus of the McNair Foundation. He is based in Atlanta.

NASA, the family of the lost crew members, and various others have donated money and countless hours of their time to carry on the mission of educating youth about space and the space sciences, McNair said, noting that his mother set the example for his family by becoming a teacher with only an 11th-grade education.

She later drove hundreds of miles for courses to expand her education.
Their father, Carl McNair Sr., operated an auto body shop.

'It's my mission to continue my brother's story to the next generation,' McNair said.

Included in this educational mission is the Challenger Learning Center which has been placed in 47 locations across the U.S. and overseas, including the site in Downey.
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			<title><![CDATA[Jackson's doctor enters not guilty plea; trial to begin March 28]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Jacksons-doctor-enters-not-guilty-plea-trial-to-begin-March-28-114590644.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114590644</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:16:08 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[Saying he is 'an innocent man,' Michael Jackson's personal physician pleaded not guilty Tuesday to an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from the singer's June 2009 death.

'Your honor, I am an innocent man. I, therefore, plead not guilty,' Dr. Conrad Murray told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor, minutes before a March 28 trial date was set.

Attorneys told the judge that the trial could last between four to eight weeks.

Both sides are due back at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse on Feb. 7 for a hearing that is expected to include a decision on whether television coverage will be allowed in court for the trial, with the judge indicating that he is inclined to permit a TV camera in court.

Pastor also told attorneys that he wanted them to submit written questions they would like prospective jurors to answer, saying, 'I really feel strongly there should be a questionnaire.'

Outside court, defense attorney Ed Chernoff told reporters that the defense 'fully intends to be ready for that trial.'

'For his part, Dr. Murray is looking forward to the opportunity to finally tell his side of the story,' Chernoff said.

When asked if Murray planned to testify in his own defense, Chernoff responded, 'Well, the lawyers haven't made that decision yet. When they do, you'll know.'

While Murray was ordered to be in court for the start of jury selection March 28, the doctor does not have to appear at next month's hearing.

'Currently, Dr. Murray still has a medical license in Texas and Nevada and he's going to keep treating patients until that changes,' Chernoff said. 'He's going to be working with patients during that time.'

The defense attorney maintained that his client has 'absolute faith in the jury system and absolute faith in people in general.'

Sandi Gibbons with the District Attorney's Office told reporters, 'We're prepared to go and we're looking forward to the trial.'

Murray, a 57-year-old cardiologist, was ordered to stand trial Jan. 11 on the felony charge, with Pastor ruling that there was sufficient evidence to require him to proceed to trial after a six-day preliminary hearing in which the prosecution called 22 witnesses.

The judge instructed the doctor to 'immediately cease and desist' practicing medicine in California while the criminal proceedings are pending. 

Murray is accused of administering the powerful anesthetic propofol to the singer to help him sleep, then failing to properly monitor him.

Jackson was pronounced dead at 2'26 p.m. on June 25, 2009, at age 50, after doctors at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center 
unsuccessfully tried to revive him, but paramedics who responded to the entertainer's rented Holmby Hills estate about two hours earlier said he appeared to have already been dead 20 minutes to an hour.

One of Jackson's security employees, Alberto Alvarez, testified during the hearing that Murray collected medical vials and instructed him to remove a bag from an IV stand near Jackson's body before asking him to call 911.

The defense repeatedly suggested during the preliminary hearing that Jackson either injected himself or drank the deadly dose of propofol after waking up while Murray was out of the entertainer's bedroom after the doctor gave him a 25-milligram dose of the sedative between 10'40 and 10'50 a.m. that day.

Defense attorney Joseph Low told the judge on Jan. 11 that it did not make sense that Murray — who told police he had been trying to wean Jackson off the drug the singer referred to as 'milk' — would have made 'the dosage go through the roof' that day.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren countered that Jackson wasn't alive because of an 'utterly inept, incompetent, reckless doctor' who demonstrated 'consciousness of guilt' by hiding evidence when he should have been caring for his patient and by failing to advise paramedics and emergency room doctors that he had given propofol to Jackson.

Jackson was in Los Angeles rehearsing for an upcoming series of concerts in London when he died.
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			<title><![CDATA[Judge recommends probabtion for 'Octomom's' doctor]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Judge-recommends-probabtion-for-Octomoms-doctor-114591594.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114591594</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:29:46 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[An administrative law judge has recommended that the Beverly Hills fertility doctor who treated 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman be placed on five years probation by the state medical board, according to papers that were released Monday.

In a 46-page recommendation to the board, Administrative Law Judge Daniel Juarez determined that revoking Dr. Michael Kamrava's license would be too severe of a punishment.

'The public would be adequately protected by a period of probation that includes, among other things, terms and conditions requiring [Kamrava] to complete an ethics course,' Juarez wrote. 'It does not appear likely that [Kamrava] will repeat acts like transferring an excessive number of embryos as he did in the cases of [Suleman and another patient], especially given the national publicity surrounding [Suleman's] case.

'However, during his testimony, [Kamrava] asserted he might still deviate from the [American Society for Reproductive Medicine] guidelines, after initially asserting that he would strictly adhere to them,' Juarez wrote. 'This inconsistency warrants oversight of [Kamrava's] practice to ensure he properly assesses individual patients and uses good judgment in practice.'

Under the recommendation, Kamrava could still lose his license if he violates any of the terms of probation suggested by Juarez.

The Medical Board of California is expected to review Juarez's recommendation Thursday, when it meets in Burlingame.

During a hearing last fall, Deputy Attorney General Judith Alvarado said Kamrava acted like 'a cowboy' by disregarding established guidelines in his treatment of Suleman.

'He admitted ... he knew it was a mistake,' Alvarado said, adding that a defense argument that doctors can deviate from standards 'is ridiculous.'

Kamrava's medical license 'needs to be revoked,' she said.

But in his summation, defense attorney Henry Fenton said Kamrava was merely following the wishes of his patient, who had told him she wanted a large family.

'The guidelines don't say people can only have one or two babies. ... That's her prerogative,' Fenton said. 'It's not the doctor that's going to decide how many children this lady is going to have.'

Fenton said Kamrava initially set out to help a patient who was having trouble getting pregnant.

Suleman had 'bad, bad ovaries ... and couldn't get pregnant,' the lawyer said.

He said it did not appear that Suleman required psychological counseling.

'This was like a perfect storm that happened to Dr. Kamrava,' Fenton said.

Kamrava treated Suleman beginning in 1997, leading to the birth of all 14 of her children, including her famed octuplets, who were born Jan. 26, 2009.
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			<title><![CDATA[Judge rules Bell doesn't have to pay mayor's legal fees at this time]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Judge-rules-Bell-doesnt-have-to-pay--114524119.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114524119</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:34:42 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[The city of Bell does not have to pay Mayor Oscar Hernandez an interim award of attorneys' fees as he defends himself against civil allegations that he and other current and former city officials defrauded taxpayers, a judge ruled Monday.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph R. Kalin said Hernandez previously filed a cross-complaint against the city asking for reimbursement of his expenses and that issuing an interim award now would be tantamount to saying the mayor had proven his case.

Kalin called Hernandez's request premature but said he could raise the issue again later.

Hernandez and the others named in the civil suit are alleged to have committed fraud, engaged in a civil conspiracy and wasted public funds in an effort to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in unwarranted salaries.

The Attorney General's Office's lawsuit, filed Sept. 15, also calls for the reduction of pension benefits for the officials. The cross-complaint is related to that action.

Hernandez's lawyer, Stanley L. Friedman, said the fees sought involved those incurred by Hernandez in September, October and November, plus future fees. He said the amount sought was filed under seal because of attorney-client privilege.

Although Hernandez also is charged with criminal conduct in the Bell scandal, Monday's motion only dealt with the civil complaint, Friedman said.

Hernandez sought the fees because the state chose to sue him in his official capacity as a Bell public official, Friedman said.

James Casso, Bell's interim city attorney, argued Hernandez should have filed a claim first to allow the City Council to approve or deny it.

Other current and former Bell officials also asking for attorneys' fees are Councilwoman Teresa Jacobo, former City Manager Robert Rizzo and ex-Councilman George Cole.
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			<title><![CDATA[Family of boy shot at Gardena High School plans claim against LAUSD]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Family-of-boy-shot-at-Gardena-High-School-plans-claim-LAUSD-114523264.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114523264</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:09:49 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[An attorney for the family of a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the neck at Gardena High School announced plans Monday to file a legal claim against the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging school officials failed to make required weapons checks of students.

The shooting occurred around 10'40 a.m. Tuesday at the campus. According to police and prosecutors, a 17-year-old boy brought a gun to school in his backpack, and it discharged inside a classroom when the student reached into the bag to get something to eat.

The bullet struck 15-year-old Trendell Gholar in the neck, then hit a 15- year-old girl in the head. Both survived.

LAUSD Deputy Superintendent John Deasy said last week that metal detectors are supposed to be used to check students randomly on district high school campuses. He conceded that such searches were not being conducted consistently at Gardena High School.

Attorney Joseph Barrett, who represents Gholar's family, said he would be filing a claim — the precursor to a lawsuit — against the district.

"Our feeling is this is a shooting that should never have occurred,'' Barrett said. "As the head of the Los Angeles Unified School District has now admitted, the school district was not doing the random weapons checks that they should have on this campus. As a result, the inevitable occurred.

"You have children nowadays who are being bullied, who feel threatened, and without security on these campuses, our children aren't safe,'' he said.

LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines told CBS2 that there were lapses in procedure, but said he didn't want schools to become prisons.

"If we, both the school district and others, had done our job, it might not have happened,'' Cortines said. "But I'm not, I'm not going to set up a prison-like environment. I think we all have to learn to live in a civil environment, not a prison-like environment.''

Barrett said Gholar — who gave an interview to CBS2 over the weekend — was doing well, but was still having difficulties in his recovery.

"That boy, unfortunately, can't sit up,'' Barrett said. "He's doing well in some ways, but we don't know what the future holds for him. The fact of the matter is, he took a bullet right through the neck, and as we know, another girl took a bullet into the brain.''

Barrett also noted that Gholar staggered outside the classroom after he was shot and was taken to a nurse's office — where he remained for 40 minutes before being taken to a hospital.

"Forty minutes in that room, passing out, and they finally got him out, finally got him to the hospital,'' he said.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[L.A. City Council considers ban on open carrying of handguns]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Los-Angeles-open-carry-gun-city-council-ban-law-114410204.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114410204</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:53:00 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[

Los Angeles officials Friday began exploring whether the city can ban the carrying of exposed handguns in public places &mdash; a proposal that quickly drew fire from gun-rights advocates.

A motion by City Council President Eric Garcetti, seconded by six of his colleagues, directed the City Attorney's Office to look into the legality of prohibiting &quot;open carry'' firearms within city limits.

California law permits the carrying of legally owned unloaded handguns in a holster. Ammunition may be carried separately on the holster, allowing a gun to be loaded in an instant, according to Garcetti's office.

&quot;Recent incidents in Los Angeles and Tucson remind us all of the devastating impact that gun violence has on families and communities,'' Garcetti said. &quot;The open carry of a handgun can be intimidating and threaten public safety.''

Garcetti noted there have been three shootings in or near local schools this week. A Gardena High School student's gun discharged in a classroom on Tuesday, injuring two students. On Wednesday, a gunman wounded a school police officer near El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, and a 15-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting near Bell High School.

He also cited the recent mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., that left six people dead and more than a dozen wounded, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D- Ariz.

&quot;An open carry ban in the city would serve the greater good by limiting the public's exposure to firearms and conserving already strained police officer resources,'' Garcetti said. &quot;This is common sense.''

Ann Reiss Lane, chair emeritus of Women Against Gun Violence, also called for the ban.

&quot; I don't wish to live in a country in which people carry guns to intimidate me,'' she said. &quot;There is no reason to carry an unloaded weapon other than intimidation.''

But Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of America, said such a ban is &quot;contrary to state law.'' He vowed to &quot;challenge it every way we can.''

&quot;In fact, there has never been a crime committed by an open carrier in California that's been recorded, this has been a right that we've had since California became a state,'' he said. &quot;With budget cuts and police officers and sheriff's deputies laid off or numbers reduced, people have only one ability to protect themselves and that is to do it themselves.''

Early last year, open carry advocates began gathering at Starbucks coffee shops in Northern California, after San Francisco-based Peet's Coffee &amp; Tea and Los Angeles-based California Pizza Kitchen adopted policies banning people from carrying firearms in their stores and restaurants.

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge, has introduced a bill seeking to ban open-carry weapons statewide. It has received support from the California Police Chiefs' Association, the Peace Officers Research Association of California and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[School police officer shot near El Camino Real High School ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/El-Camino-Real-High-School-shooting-police-officer-114251989.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114251989</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:34:45 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[

WOODLAND HILLS &mdash; A Los Angeles school police officer was shot near El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, but the bullet struck the officer's body armor and he was not seriously injured.

The 11'40 a.m. shooting on Manton Avenue just south of Burbank Boulevard prompted a massive manhunt in the area, with more than 350 officers and sheriff's deputies hunting for the suspect and nine schools placed on lockdown.

According to School Police Chief Steve Zipperman, eight-year veteran Officer Jeff Stenroos approached a suspect just northeast of El Camino Real High School.

&quot;He was confronted by a suspect that we know, based on a call, appeared to be possibly breaking into some cars,'' Zipperman said. &quot;As a result of that contact with that suspect, a shooting occurred in which Officer Stenroos was hit once in the chest. ... Officer Stenroos was wearing his ballistic vest, and thankfully, we thank God that that vest obviously saves his life.''

Zipperman noted that Stenroos normally works at Cleveland High School in Reseda, but was filling in Wednesday at El Camino Real.

Stenroos was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center in fair condition. Dr. Stephen Jones at Northridge Hospital Medical Center said the officer was &quot;a lucky man,'' suffering only a chest bruise and minor injuries to his head and back when he fell.

&quot;The vest did its job and stopped the bullet,'' Jones said. &quot;It did not penetrate the chest itself, but instead it bounced off the chest and caused a bruise to his chest. He also suffered a fall, understandably, when you're hit by a bullet, and he suffered minor injuries to his head and back in the fall itself, but nothing that is serious.

&quot;His condition is stable and we anticipate that he may be discharged later this afternoon to his home,'' Jones said.

Zipperman said Stenroos' wife was at the hospital, and the officer &quot;is conscious and alert, and again our hearts and prayers go out to his family and we hope for a speedy recovery.''

Police fanned out through the neighborhood in search of a suspect. The suspect was described as a man in his mid- to late-40s, 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 with long grayish hair pulled into a pony tail. He was believed to be wearing blue jeans with a dark-colored bomber jacket or sweatshirt.

The suspect was believed to be armed with a 9mm semiautomatic weapon.

Officers detained a man at the scene not long after the shooting. By early afternoon, several people had been questioned, but LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said the suspect remained at large.

&quot;Many possible suspects will be contacted, questioned, some may even be taken into custody to be eliminated,'' Beck said. &quot;This will be an ongoing police operation for quite some time.''

The California Highway Patrol closed the Valley Circle Boulevard ramps from the Ventura (101) Freeway as police set up a massive perimeter, but they were reopened by late afternoon.

At one point, police had a perimeter that stretched from Oxnard Street to the Ventura (101) Freeway, between Platt Avenue/Valley Circle Boulevard and Fallbrook Avenue, according to LAPD Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese.

The size of the perimeter eventually began shrinking as officers cleared neighborhoods.

At the height of the search, nine schools were locked down &mdash; El Camino Real High School; Hale Middle School; Welby Way, Woodlake, Calabash, Pomelo, Haynes and Lockhurst elementary schools; and Miguel Leonis Continuation School. About 9,000 students were affected, according to the LAUSD.

Most of those schools remained on lockdown for the bulk of the day, but students were eventually released after police thoroughly searched the campuses.

LAUSD officials said all of the schools would operate normally Thursday, and counselors would be made available to students at each campus that was locked down.

Beck noted that a resident who saw the injured officer came to his aid shortly after the shooting and called for help.

&quot;Our best information is that the officer stumbled or made it back to his car, at which time a good Samaritan, local resident, went to offer aid to the officer, got on the radio and put out the officer-needs-help call,'' Beck said.

The shooting came one day after a student brought a gun in a backpack to Gardena High School, and the weapon accidentally discharged and injured two students, one of whom was shot in the head. Both students were recovering, one in good condition, but one still critical.

&quot;I am shocked and saddened by the news that a Los Angeles Unified School District police officer has been shot in close proximity to El Camino High School,'' Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a statement from Washington, D.C. &quot;Two shootings in as many days on or near two separate L.A. Unified campuses is cause for grave concern and a re-examination of our school and campus perimeter security policies. My thoughts and prayers are with the wounded officer, the officer's family and colleagues.'']]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Police officials promise thorough investigation into fatal Playa Vista shooting]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Reggie-Doucet-shooting-Playa-Vista-LAPD-114179594.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114179594</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:32:32 PST</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[The city's top law enforcement officials vowed Tuesday to conduct a thorough investigation into the fatal police shooting of an unarmed and nearly naked man in Playa Vista.

"It is well-documented and has been well-discussed the department and inspector general and the commission and the district attorney's role in the investigation of these officer-involved shootings, and those rules will be strictly adhered to,'' LAPD Chief Charlie Beck told the Police Commission.

Speaking to the panel only hours after another officer-involved fatal shooting in Canoga Park, he added, "It is far too early to draw conclusions about the propriety of the officer-involved shootings, but certainly it's not too early to send my sympathies to the families of the civilians involved and also to the officers, two of whom were significantly injured during one of the incidents.''

A third officer-involved shooting in as many days occurred Sunday night, when a man who allegedly pointed a gun at bystanders on Skid Row was shot in the leg by police a short time later in a nearby apartment building where he lives.

In the Playa Vista incident early Friday, Reginald Doucet Jr., a 25-year- old model and former college football player, got into a dispute with a taxi driver who brought him home from a Hollywood club and stripped naked about 3 a.m. outside the Crescent Park West condominiums.

Police were able to get him to put on some boxer shorts, but he ran off. When the officers confronted him in a doorway, Doucet allegedly started punching them in the face.

He was shot dead when he allegedly tried to grab an officer's gun.

Police Commission President John Mack said, "The commission also shares the very serious and deep concern about the regrettable tragedy that took place ...''

"As it has always been the case and will continue to be the case, certainly under the chief's leadership, the department will conduct its own investigation that I'm sure will be thorough,'' he said.

"Independent of that, the inspector general will also conduct a very thorough and comprehensive analysis of the events, and ultimately this commission will receive the results ... and finally make our decision as to whether or not the actions of the officers was in policy or not in policy.''

Inspector General Nicole Bershon said she was scheduled to meet with community leaders, including Earl Ofari Hutchinson, to "explain the process of our review and analysis, anticipated timing, and the types of issues we review and evaluate in connection with these types of matters.''

Hutchinson, who heads the L.A. Urban Policy Roundtable, said over the weekend that he wanted a "fast-track independent investigation into the Doucet slaying.''

"Friends and neighbors of Doucet expressed shock and anger at the killing,'' he said. "They want honest answers as to why LAPD had to resort to the use of deadly force with an unarmed suspect who may have had an emotional issue.''

Los Angeles Police Protective League President Paul Weber defended the officers, saying they were "literally fighting for their lives against Mr. Doucet.''

"It is surprising to see that the first reaction of respected community leader Earl Hutchinson is to question the actions of the police,'' Weber said. "Apparently, because a suspect is naked they aren't a threat. Tell that to the families of officers who have been killed by naked people on PCP who disarmed the officer.

"In this case, naked or not, when Mr. Doucet tried to take an officer's gun away from him, he set in motion the chain of events that sadly led to his death,'' Weber said. "An officer who loses his gun to a suspect loses his life.'']]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Student in custody after gun discharges at Gardena High School; 2 injured]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Gardena-High-School-shooting-114155704.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">114155704</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:29:32 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/320*181/GardenaHSLosAngelesCA.jpg" length="66833" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[GARDENA — A Gardena High School student brought a gun to the campus in a backpack Tuesday and the weapon discharged — apparently accidentally — wounding two fellow students, one critically.

The 17-year-old suspect was arrested and booked for assault with a deadly weapon, said Los Angeles Police Officer Karen Rayner. Earlier, authorities thought the shooting might have been an accident.

The shooting occurred at 10'41 a.m., leading to a lockdown of the roughly 3,000 students who attend the school at 1301 W. 182nd St.

"The person that's responsible for this particular shooting came into a classroom, it appears set a backpack down on a desk and a gun that was inside that backpack discharged,'' Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Patrick Gannon said.

"The round from that gun hit both of the students,'' Gannon said. "The student then that was responsible for bringing the backpack into the classroom fled from that particular classroom and went to another. We have subsequently taken him into custody.''

Gannon said a 15-year-old girl suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she underwent emergency surgery and was listed in critical condition.

Doctors said the bullet did not pass through her skull, but grazed it, causing a skull fracture. A broadcast report indicated she had suffered brain damage.

A 15-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the neck, and he was hospitalized in fair condition.

A doctor at the hospital said the boy was apparently shot first, with the bullet passing through his neck and then striking the girl.

More than 3,000 students were at the campus, and they were held on lockdown until early afternoon, when parents were advised to go to the gate at Normandie Avenue and 178th Street to pick up their children. Parents were notified of the shooting through an automatic phone message system, police said.

Los Angeles School Police Department Chief Steve Zipperman said students and teachers were interviewed, and grief counselors were sent to the campus.

It was unclear how the student got the backpack onto the campus, where metal detectors are manned by school staff, not police. There was an armed school police officer on campus when the shooting occurred, Zipperman said.

Asked if the weapon was cocked, which might explain why it went off, Zipperman said, "In the issue of a gun that accidentally discharges, it would have to be an automatic weapon instead of a revolver. It was an automatic, although I do not have the make.''

Zipperman said district policy calls for metal detectors to be used randomly on students.

"It is a possibility that today the student who walked on with that backpack was not checked,'' Zipperman said.

Zipperman said he did not know what the student might have told officers after his arrest.

After the gunfire, the school was locked down as police swarmed across the campus in search of the student. Sources told the Los Angeles Times that the boy with the gun apologized to other students in the classroom before fleeing.

The student was arrested shortly before noon in a classroom that was filled with students and one teacher.

Gardena High School senior Miguel Lopez, 17, told The Times he was in the health class when the gun went off as a male classmate was reaching into his backpack. He said the student, who he did not know, was not pointing the gun at anyone.

Lopez said two students sitting next to him near the back of the classroom were shot. The girl was shot in the temple, he said.

"She kind of was crying,'' Lopez told The Times. "She fell back into her chair and fell on the floor.''

The student with the gun ran out of the classroom, and the teacher began screaming, Lopez told the paper.

Other students told The Times the suspect carried the gun for protection.

Dr. James Ausman of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center said the bullet entered and exited the left side of the female student's head. He said the bullet did not go through her skull, but "caused a skull fracture, and what we call some bruising or contusion of the underlying brain on the left side.''

"That lead to a fairly significant blood clot on the left side of her brain,'' Ausman said.

"She was taken to surgery within less than 30 minutes of the time she arrived here. The blood clot was removed very quickly. The bone was left out because after there's an injury to the brain, the brain swells usually within 48 hours, and this provides room for the brain to expand.''

Ausman said a brain scan conducted after surgery showed that "everything at this point, at least radiologically, looks good.''

Doctors said they would have a better idea of her chances for recovery Wednesday, saying they would be looking to see if she could move her arms and legs.

The boy did not need surgery and he is listed in fair condition.

School district spokesman Robert Alaniz said there would be an increased police presence at the campus Wednesday, and grief counselors would be available for students.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Police: 2nd disabled victim talking in sexual assault probe]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/disabled-sexual-assault-victim-113776144.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">113776144</guid>		
			<pubDate>Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:39:37 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/320*180/Outstanding_Suspects_470px.jpg" length="36372" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Days after prosecutors declined to immediately file charges against a man suspected of raping a disabled woman in an attack that was caught on tape, a second victim has come forward implicating the second suspect.

Sheriff's detectives announced today a 27-year-old woman contacted them Thursday after recognizing one of the suspects in news coverage.

The woman said she was sexually assaulted multiple times between 2007 and 2009 by 42-year-old Bert Hicks while she was living in housing he operated, sheriff's detectives said, adding that the woman expressed significant fear of Hicks, who is currently in state prison for sexual assaults in 2007 and 2009 against the first victim.

Ernie Lloyd, 27, surrendered to police Saturday night, saying he had seen himself on the news.

Lloyd, who uses a wheelchair, apparently lived in a residential care facility when some of the assaults allegedly occurred in 2007, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker. Lloyd was booked on suspicion of raping a person with disabilities and jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail. He was released Thursday pending further investigation.

In a Charge Evaluation Worksheet prepared by the District Attorney's Office, prosecutors said they needed to have more information about the alleged victim before any charges could be filed.

"In order to effect a filing, we would either have to prove that the victim did not consent to the sexual acts or she was unable to consent to the sexual acts,'' according to the worksheet. "There is insufficient evidence to prove either of these theories beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.''

Prosecutors noted in the worksheet that they were aware of the victim's physical limitations, but they have no details about her mental capacity.

"The investigating officer has been instructed to obtain any and all medical records of the victim that may exist,'' according to the worksheet. "These records will be reviewed by experts regarding her capacity and disabilities. The investigators need to continue to identify locations, additional suspects and additional victims.''

Parker released a statement late Tuesday saying investigators had located the alleged victim and she had been interviewed.

"The 25-year-old white female ... is currently a resident of a residential care facility in the state of California,'' according to Parker. "Her medical conditions have caused her to be physically defenseless, however, she was able to communicate with detectives.

"The young woman confirmed to detectives that years ago she had been the victim of sexual assaults at a residential care facility in the city of Los Angeles,'' Parker said.

In her interview with sheriff's detectives on Monday, the victim was "very emotional'' and the meeting "was painful for her,'' Parker said. "Detectives described her as very traumatized. She is being provided with victim assistance.''

She asked that her identity and residence not be revealed.

The woman told detectives that Lloyd had sexually assaulted her at the residence where they both had lived, Parker said. She also said that she particularly feared Hicks, 42, a second suspect who is serving time at Tehachapi State Prison on a sexual assault conviction. The woman was married to Hicks.

Sheriff's officials said Lloyd and Hicks were believed to be among eight suspects seen on the more than 100 hours of video they found on computer discs that were delivered anonymously to the Sheriff's Department in March. At least 10 disabled women were victimized, sheriff's officials said.

Some, if not all, of the crimes are believed to have occurred in an undisclosed residential care facility in Los Angeles.

Sheriff's detectives served search warrants at three residences early today in connection with the investigation. One of the locations is a housing facility where the two victims allege they were sexually assaulted multiple times, officials said.

The two victims are also helping detectives identify additional victims.

On Sunday, the person who delivered the discs to the Sheriff's Department agreed to meet with investigators, telling them he had been given a desktop computer by a drug addict who asked him to clean the hard drive. He watched some of the videos and "was deeply disturbed by them and said what he saw made him sick,'' Parker said.

He knew he needed to report it to law enforcement but feared for his safety, Parker said. So he decided to copy the videos onto 11 discs and send them anonymously to the Sheriff's Department, along with an explanatory note.

"This is a rapidly evolving case,'' said Sgt. Dan Scott of the Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau, which is investigating the case.

"There is so much videotaped evidence, so many victims, so many suspects, and so many quality leads that keep pouring in. The amount of detailed investigative work required to be done on every aspect of this case is very much a challenge. This case is as extraordinary as it is tragic and deeply disturbing.''

He said more than 70 leads were being investigated.

Anyone with more information about the assaults was asked to call sheriff's Special Victims Bureau at (866) 247-5877.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA['Critical Mass' bicyclist files lawsuit against L.A.]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Bicyclist-Critical-Mass-LAPD-Hollywood-113620154.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">113620154</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:55:58 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[A man who claims he was roughed up by Los Angeles police for using video last spring to capture officers as they allegedly harassed protesting bicyclists in Hollywood has filed a lawsuit against the city.

Manuel Gallegos claims he was riding east with other members of "Critical Mass,'' an activist bicycling group that organizes mass rides that disrupt motor traffic, the night of last May 28, when he stopped to shoot a video on his cell phone after seeing officers pull a boy off his bicycle near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue.

About 400 bicyclists rode down Hollywood Boulevard to protest the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to his lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, shortly after recording an officer allegedly kicking a cyclist's tire, Gallegos was "chased down by LAPD officers, who tackled him, dragged him off his bicycle and proceeded to beat and kick him.''

One officer stomped on his phone "in what is believed to be an attempt to destroy evidence of the unlawful conduct of the LAPD officers,'' according to the complaint, which alleges civil rights violations, intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery and negligence.

Gallegos was held by officers for 45 minutes and issued a citation alleging "false and fabricated'' traffic violations, according to the suit. He seeks unspecified damages.

An LAPD spokesman Friday said the department had no comment on the suit.

Earlier, police said they were at the scene to cite bicyclists who disobeyed traffic signals — members of Critical Mass have been known to stop in intersections, get off their bikes and twirl them above their heads.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Rizzo loses volunteer job as parking lot attendant]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Rizzo-loses-volunteer-job-as-patking-lot-attendant-113618244.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">113618244</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:21:33 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/320*180/rizzo+bell+480px.png" length="636877" type="image/png" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[HUNTINGTON BEACH — The disgraced former city manager of Bell, Robert Rizzo, who faces charges of misappropriating millions of public dollars, lost his volunteer job as a parking lot attendant at the International Surfing Museum here Thursday.

'Our acting manager, a volunteer himself, exercised extremely poor judgment in deciding to bring Mr. Rizzo on board, and in utilizing him in a very public capacity,' museum board member Brett Barnes said in a written statement Thursday afternoon. 'The board of directors is rectifying this situation immediately.'

Rizzo, who lives in downtown Huntington Beach, apparently lined up the volunteer job to complete community service hours for a DUI conviction, Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez revealed in a column published Thursday.

Rizzo was fired Thursday afternoon.

When the founder of the museum, Natalie Kotsch, learned about Rizzo's presence at the museum and the media attention he was drawing, she worried he would give the nonprofit an undeserved black eye, the Orange County Register reported.

'People here have donated thousands of hours,' Kotsch told The Register. 'And to bring us down to the Rizzo level . . . it's a heartbreak.'
Rizzo was forced from his job as Bell's top administrator last year after 

The Times revealed his salary — more than $700,000 — and other super-sized pay and benefits for officials in one of Los Angeles County's poorest cities.
]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[L.A. City Council votes to lease several parking garages]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Los-Angeles-City-Council-parking-garages-lease-113434154.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">113434154</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:07:07 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[The Los Angeles City Council decided Wednesday to lease several parking garages for a quick and massive infusion of cash into the city's depleted coffers, but granted concessions to business and community groups that have been seeking continued discounts on parking fees.

Details of the concessions were not disclosed to reporters because the discussion was held in closed session.

All City Council President Eric Garcetti would say when asked whether concessions would diminish the value of the properties was  "any changes could lower [their value], other ones could increase their value.''

City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said the city's proposed terms for leasing the parking garages will be presented to potential bidders Friday.

The council listened to hours of public testimony Wednesday from business and community groups demanding to continue paying only $2 to park at the Hollywood & Highland lot, and nothing to park at the Broxton lot in Westwood Village.

Santana warned that imposing those restrictions on the parking lots could turn off potential bidders, resulting in less lucrative offers.

However, Garcetti said he could not completely ignore the concerns of business owners in Hollywood, which is part of his district.

"As someone who has seen parking help revitalize Hollywood and in turn provide taxes for the entire city, I listened carefully to what the Hollywood community was talking about,'' Garcetti said.

"I can't and won't ultimately support something that doesn't satisfy the shared concerns I have with the Hollywood community to keep momentum going. Parking is a critical piece of that.''

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the City Council "faced a tough choice'' and "did the right thing'' in agreeing to lease the parking garages.

"This decision keeps the city on a path charted last May when we unanimously chose to include this proposal in the adopted city budget,'' Villaraigosa said.

"Moving forward with a proposal which maximizes the value of the city parking garages is a critical part of our plan to restore Los Angeles to financial health.''

Santana said the city needs to make $200 million to $300 million from leasing nine of its parking garages to private operators for 50 years.

Of that amount, $53.2 million is to be used to eliminate most of the city's budget deficit in the current fiscal year.

Meanwhile, the council postponed until Friday a decision on whether to authorize another round of drastic budget cuts.

Villaraigosa said fact that the city has not yet generated any revenue from the parking garages and is $26 million short on tax revenues made the budget cuts necessary — unless labor unions agree to significant concessions.

"I made it clear' I'm going to have to move ahead with more layoffs,'' he said Wednesday.

"I do so not because I relish it — nobody wakes up in the morning and says, `I want to cut services, I want to cut jobs' — but unless we get the kinds of concessions that we need from our partners in labor, we're going to have to move ahead because we will balance this budget,'' he added.

Santana had recommended an additional 10 furlough days for employees who are already required to take either 16 or 26 days off without pay.

The additional furloughs could shut down entire departments every Friday or every other Friday from Jan. 30 through June 30.

Other recommendations included further slashing the budget of the fire department, which is already idling 22 fire engines and nine ambulances to save money; furloughing the Department of General Services police officers who provide security to city buildings; and cutting the graffiti removal budget in half, among other cuts.

Santana said the budget cuts may prompt the general managers of various departments to lay off personnel. He noted they have the authority to hand out pink slips.

If the plan to lease parking garages falls through or fails to meet revenue expectations, Santana said the police department should also suspend hiring.

Without revenue from the parking garage lease, the city would be $62.7 million in the red in the current fiscal year. Another $350 million deficit looms in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Prosecutors decline to file charges in apparent sexual assault, for now]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/disabled-sexual-assault-video-113325634.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">113325634</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:45:06 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/320*180/t1larg.ernie.lloyd.lapd.jpg" length="39282" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Prosecutors declined Tuesday to immediately file charges against a man suspected of raping a disabled woman in an attack that was caught on tape, asking investigators to collect more information about the alleged victim to ensure she did not consent to the sexual activity.

Late Tuesday, however, sheriff's detectives announced they had located the alleged victim and planned to present updated information to the District Attorney's Office on Wednesday.

Ernie Lloyd, 27, surrendered to police Saturday night, saying he had seen himself on the news.

Lloyd, who uses a wheelchair, apparently lived in a residential care facility when some of the assaults allegedly occurred in 2007, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker. Lloyd was booked on suspicion of raping a person with disabilities and jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.

In a Charge Evaluation Worksheet prepared by the District Attorney's Office, prosecutors said they needed to have more information about the alleged victim before any charges could be filed.

"In order to effect a filing, we would either have to prove that the victim did not consent to the sexual acts or she was unable to consent to the sexual acts,'' according to the worksheet. "There is insufficient evidence to prove either of these theories beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.''

Prosecutors noted in the worksheet that they were aware of the victim's physical limitations, but they have no details about her mental capacity.

"The investigating officer has been instructed to obtain any and all medical records of the victim that may exist,'' according to the worksheet. "These records will be reviewed by experts regarding her capacity and disabilities. The investigators need to continue to identify locations, additional suspects and additional victims.''

Parker released a statement late Tuesday saying investigators had located the alleged victim and she had been interviewed.

"The 25-year-old white female ... is currently a resident of a residential care facility in the state of California,'' according to Parker. "Her medical conditions have caused her to be physically defenseless, however, she was able to communicate with detectives.

"The young woman confirmed to detectives that years ago she had been the victim of sexual assaults at a residential care facility in the city of Los Angeles,'' Parker said.

In her interview with sheriff's detectives on Monday, the victim was "very emotional'' and the meeting "was painful for her,'' Parker said. "Detectives described her as very traumatized. She is being provided with victim assistance.''

She asked that her identity and residence not be revealed.

The woman told detectives that Lloyd had sexually assaulted her at the residence where they both had lived, Parker said. She also said that she particularly feared Bert Hicks, 42, a second suspect who is serving time at Tehachapi State Prison on a sexual assault conviction. The woman was married to Hicks.

Sheriff's officials said Lloyd and Hicks were believed to be among eight suspects seen on the more than 100 hours of video they found on computer discs that were delivered anonymously to the Sheriff's Department in March. At least 10 disabled women were victimized, sheriff's officials said.

Some, if not all, of the crimes are believed to have occurred in an undisclosed residential care facility in Los Angeles.

On Sunday, the person who delivered the discs to the Sheriff's Department agreed to meet with investigators, telling them he had been given a desktop computer by a drug addict who asked him to clean the hard drive. He watched some of the videos and "was deeply disturbed by them and said what he saw made him sick,'' Parker said.

He knew he needed to report it to law enforcement but feared for his safety, Parker said. So he decided to copy the videos onto 11 discs and send them anonymously to the Sheriff's Department, along with an explanatory note.

"This is a rapidly evolving case,'' said Sgt. Dan Scott of the Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau, which is investigating the case.

"There is so much videotaped evidence, so many victims, so many suspects, and so many quality leads that keep pouring in. The amount of detailed investigative work required to be done on every aspect of this case is very much a challenge. This case is as extraordinary as it is tragic and deeply disturbing.''

He said more than 70 leads were being investigated.

Anyone with more information about the assaults was asked to call sheriff's Special Victims Bureau at (866) 247-5877.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Attorney blames San Clemente officials for mudslides ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/San-Clemente-mudslides-blame-113252359.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">113252359</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:19:46 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SAN CLEMENTE — An attorney representing homeowners whose properties on Via Ballena are threatened with a hillside collapse said today that city officials are to blame for the mudslide.

Attorney Serge Tomassian is representing several homeowners on Via Ballena who sued in Orange County Superior Court in 2008, blaming the city for a faulty water management system that the residents say damaged their homes. The suit will go to trial in late spring or early summer, Tomassian said.

The six homeowners affected by last week's hillside collapse have also hired Tomassian to pursue claims against the city.

"They were dumping the water from a regulator onto the street — there was so much water dumped it went into the storm drains, which were overwhelmed and couldn't take all the water,'' attorney Serge Tomassian said. "The slopes were already weakened by the rain and already prone to land movement... The city should know better.''

Tomassian said he doesn't know why city officials were dumping the water on the street after the rains, but he pointed to a nearby, underground water vault that had to be drained.

City engineer Bill Cameron acknowledged that some groundwater had to be siphoned out of an underground water vault near the fallen hillside, but he said it was a small amount of water and it was diverted to a storm drain that empties into a canyon.

A creek below the collapsed hillside has turned into a river and is now a lake following the most recent rains and dumping of water, Tomassian said.

"The city has to make a decision,'' Tomassian said. "Do they write off Via Ballena? Or does the city step in with a comprehensive plan to save that street? I just can't imagine the city not wanting to protect its own reputation and its own citizens.''

It's too soon to diagnose what led to the hillside collapse, Cameron said. Geo-technical experts would have to drill holes and do tests, but city officials have not decided whether to proceed, Cameron said.

"Right now we're more concerned with the safety and welfare of the residents,'' he said.

Four of six homes near 247 Via Ballena have been red-tagged by city officials, meaning the properties are deemed uninhabitable. City officials continue to monitor the other two homes, but the residents are still allowed access, Cameron said.

Because the homes and the landslide are on private property, residents will have to show city officials that the dwellings are safe before they can return, he said.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Suspect surrenders to police in alleged sexual assault of disabled women]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Suspect-surrenders-to-police-in--113157899.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">113157899</guid>		
			<pubDate>Sun, 9 Jan 2011 02:23:21 PST</pubDate>
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															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/320*180/mugshots_disabled_abuse.jpg" length="155400" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[A second man suspected of raping disabled women in videotaped assaults has been identified as a state prisoner, and detectives Sunday sought at least two other suspects.

Ernie Lloyd, 27, surrendered to Los Angeles police Saturday night, and Bert Hicks, 42, was found in Tehachapi State Prison, according to sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker.

Lloyd and Hicks are believed to be among eight suspects who were videotaped sexually assaulting disabled women. Some, if not all, of the crimes are believed to have occurred in an undisclosed residential care facility in Los Angeles.

"All of the victims appear to be severely disabled,'' sheriff's Sgt. Darren Harris said. "The extremely disturbing videos are not being released to the public, but photos from portions of the video are being released in an effort to identify some of the suspects.''

In March, someone delivered to sheriff's deputies a computer hard drive that contained more than 100 hours of video showing at least 10 disabled women being sexually assaulted by as many as eight men.

Before Lloyd and Hicks were arrested, deputies said they sought at least four suspects.

Lloyd surrendered to police in Hollywood, saying he had seen himself on the news, according to Parker. He apparently lived in residential care facility when some of the assaults allegedly occurred in 2007, Parker said. He was turned over to sheriff's detectives in charge of the investigation, booked on suspicion of raping of a person with disabilities and locked up in lieu of $100,000 bail, Parker said.

Hicks, who is in prison on a sexual assault conviction, was married to one of the alleged victims, and is suspected in crimes that occurred between 2007 and 2009.

Sheriff's Detective Ron Anderson told Fox11 that Hicks was married to a 25-year-old disabled woman shown in some of the videos. She allegedly was victimized by Hicks and two unidentified men who are being sought.

It was unclear early Sunday what Lloyd and Hicks may have told detectives about the others shown in the video. One of the suspects also appears to have been disabled because he used a wheelchair, deputies said.

"Detectives from the Special Victims Bureau are concerned that these sexual assaults might still be occurring,'' Sgt. Dan Scott said last week. "The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department welcomes information that can lead to stopping these criminals.''

Anyone with more information about the assaults was asked to call sheriff's Special Victims Bureau at (866) 247-5877. Deputies also want to talk to whoever delivered the video to law enforcement.]]></description>
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