August 2007 Archives

Police today sought two men in connection with a brutal stabbing of a 33-year-old homeless man whose body was found in a creek Sunday afternoon. dailynews.com

Below are arrests from Aug. 29:

• 7100 block of Lindley Avenue, Reseda: A 36-year-old North Hollywood man was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats.

• 18000 block of Hemmingway Street, Reseda: A 23-year-old student was arrested on suspicion of rape by force.

• 5900 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard, North Hollywood: A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of military desertion.

• 6200 block of Sylmar Avenue, Van Nuys: A 45-year-old woman from North Hills was arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer.

• 9700 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Pacoima: A 25-year-old mover from North Hollywood was arrested on suspicion of burglary.

• 7500 block of Denny Avenue, Sun Valley: A 29-year-old construction worker from North Hollywood was arrested on suspicion of arson.
  

There were a couple of significant incidents reported in the Valley overnight.

Just before midnight last night, a man held up a motorist at gunpoint who was stopped at a shopping center at Gladstone Avenue at Hubbard Street in Sylmar. The gunman tapped on the car window, pointed the gun at him and told him to get out of the car and lie face down on the ground. The motorist, in fear, complied and the assailant took off in the victim's vehicle.

The second case occurred this morning at 6:25 a.m. in the 15300 block of Archwood Street in Van Nuys. Police responded to a “459 Hot Prowl” radio call. The victim told police that she heard a noise coming from the living room and when she went to investigate, she noticed her front door open. She looked outside and saw the side gate to the back yard opened. When she went outside, she saw the suspect take off.

Click below for crime news this morning.

Murder charges were filed today against a 23-year-old homeless man accused of fatally stabbing a 32-year-old woman on the patio of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. dailynews.com

Find the arrests from your neighborhood, from Aug. 28:

• 14400 block of Vanowen Street, Van Nuys: A 52-year-old welder from Reseda was arrested on suspicion of animal neglect.

• 15200 block of Rayen Steet, North Hills: A 23-year-old day laborer from Mission Hills was arrested on suspicion of possession of rock cocaine.

• Wyandotte, Van Nuys: A 30-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of heroin.

• 5700 block of Sepulveda Boulevard, Van Nuys: A 23-year-old woman from Quartz Hill was arrested on suspicion of burglary at a Target.

• Foothill Boulevard, Sylmar: A 30-year-old supervisor was arrested on suspicion of bringing a controlled substance to jail.

• Noble Avenue, North Hills: A 26-year-old painter was arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery.

• 10800 block of Oxnard Street, North Hollywood: A 26-year-old man from Los Angeles was arrested on suspicion of assault with a knife.

• 12100 block of Victory Boulevard, North Hollywood: A 28-year-old gardener from Reseda was arrested on suspicion of robbery.
  

A former county employee leading an effort to recall Sheriff Lee Baca based on his handling of Paris Hilton's jail sentence has resigned. A statement Monday from The Committee to Recall Lee Baca said Andrew Ahlering's decision to step down was based on "threats to his safety." washingtonpost.com

But he looked like such a normal guy....

Paul Addis was like a lot of people who dig Burning Man. He journeyed out to the Nevada desert, painted his face up with all kinds of crazy designs and looked forward to ceremonially lighting the namesake statue on fire. Unfortunately for the thousands of other attendees, Addis allegedly couldn't wait for the last one.

The statue was supposed to burn in four days, but sheriff's deputies say Addis sped up the clock by lighting the immense effigy up himself early Tuesday. He was arrested and booked in the Pershing County, Nev. jail on suspicion of arson, illegal possession of fireworks, destruction of property and resisting a public officer.

Now who'd have thought that the combination of neo-hippies in costume, free spirits, drugs and a giant, flammable statue would end badly? Whatever the case, this dude, a 35-year-old performance artist from San Francisco, is so totally not invited to the next incarnation of Woodstock.

This can't top Jason's post on the Mary Kay G-ride, but I thought it was pretty darn amusing.

Our friends at L.A. Noir shared this tale of a man, a home, a too-large posterior and a too-small chimney. It seems that this would-be Santa Claus attempted to turn a fireplace out in West Covina into a door. Unfortunately for him, as he crept down toward the living room, he became firmly ensconced.

Residents heard him thrashing around, called the cops and had him removed, first from the chimney, then from greater society.

Mr. Blackmoore, who has a tremendous knack for digging up these weirdo crimes, offers this:
Unfortunately for the homeowners they couldn't pull him back out again and had to dismantle the chimney.

Me, I'd have gotten onto the roof and dropped [we censored this for our more delicate It's a Crime readers, but Blackmoore employs a colorful metaphor for 'stuff'] on him 'til the extra weight popped him out the bottom. Bowling balls are good for that sort of thing. Hey, they're gonna take apart my chimney, might as well have some fun.

The gentleman was arrested on suspicion of burglary, and, perhaps a little time in jail, doing push-ups and sit-ups with his cellies, will do him good. Unfortunately, the story didn't provide details on whether eight tiny reindeer were found on the rooftop going click-click-click.

Elsewhere, CBS2.com posted the original link to the AP story.

Here's something you don't hear every day. Last week, cops up in the Mission Division thought there was something odd about a 29-year-old man driving a pink Mary Kay Cadillac on Raven Street, so they pulled him over and found out that the day before he had jacked the car at gunpoint. The guy was identified as 29-year-old Elethon Mora from San Fernando. He's being held at the Pitchess Detention Center in Saugus. He's expected to appear in court next week, sans the Caddy.

Here are arrests from Aug. 27:

• Craner Avenue, North Hollywood: A 20-year-old warehouseman from North Hollywood told police he heard shots fired, walked around the corner and found an AK-47 lying in the street. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of an assault rifle.

• 8000 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard, Panorama City: A 28-year-old Van Nuys man was arrested on suspicion of drinking in public.

• 19000 block of Londelius Street, Northridge: A 31-year-old woman from San Fernando was arrested on suspicion of credit card theft.

• Polk Street, Sylmar: A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of meth.

• 19000 block of Vanowen Street, Reseda: A 19-year-old saleswoman from Woodland Hills was arrested on suspicion of forging a fictitious check.

• 15500 block of Vanowen Street, Van Nuys: A 35-year-old housewife was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery.
  

A 32-year-old woman suffered fatal wounds from a stabbing on the patio of an alcoholics anonymous meeting and her alleged killer, a 23-year-old homeless man was in custody in connection with the case. dailynews.com

The Los Angeles Police Department launched its end-of-the-summer raids in North Hollywood on Friday.

More than 150 officers from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Unified School District Police, Burbank Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, California Department of Corrections and Los Angeles County Probation focused on gangs and tagging crews linked to criminal activity in the North Hollywood and Sun Valley communities.

The operation went down at 6 a.m.

The cops served probation and parole compliance checks, arrest and warrant searches at 58 locations. A dozen people were arrested, including four juveniles. The gangs and tagging crews targeted were the Vineland Boys, 18th Street, North Hollywood Locos, North Hollywood Boys and Clanton (C-14).

18th Street is listed as one of the department's top targeted gangs.

Cops recovered three firearms, two machetes, narcotics including methamphetamine and marijuana, and several shaved keys that are believed to be used to steal cars.

Cops also say they seized a wealth of intelligence on gang activity in the eastern corner of the Valley.

The raids come as police report that gang-related crimes have increased in North Hollywood by 24 percent over last last year to date. In a recent four-week period, police in North Hollywood reported a 54.5 percent drop.

As of July 30, gang crime in the Valley is up 5.9 percent, a total of 47-additional crimes. While gang homicides are down 4.3 percent -- 22 through July 30 compared to 23 during the same time period last year -- some of the increase in gang crime can be attributed to more assaults against cops. This time last year, there had been seven; so far this year there have been 22, an increase of over 200 percent.

Through Aug. 18 crime is down 1.7 percent. That includes a 24 percent reduction in homicides - 42 compared with 55.

Cops say that gang crime accounts for 22 percent of of all crime in the Valley.

Here are some arrests from over the weekend:

• 9400 block of San Fernando Road, Sun Valley: A 20-year-old stock clerk was arrested on suspicion of arson.

• Saticoy Street, Van Nuys: A 20-year-old laborer was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats with a gang enhancement.

• 14600 block of Blythe Street, Panorama City: An 18-year-old landscaper from North Hills was arrested on suspicion of violating terms of an injunction.

• 18100 block of Nordhoff Street, Northridge: A 32-year-old man from Arleta was arrested on suspicion of disruption on campus at Cal State Northridge.
  

Last time I went to court, the judge had a big sign on the wall prohibiting sandals and shorts in his courtroom. Well, thanks to our friends at the Associated Press in Dallas, we can share with you the story of a man who ditched the shorts, sandals and everything else.

DALLAS — A man stripped naked inside a Dallas County courthouse and tried to grab a weapon from an officer who attempted to subdue him, officials said.
A receptionist saw the 33-year-old man taking off his clothes on the 11th floor of the court building near the district attorney’s office on Thursday, authorities reported. She called for help, and a prosecutor chased the man into a stairwell.
An officer was trying to help the prosecutor when the man placed his hand on the officer’s weapon, officials said.
The man faces a charge of trying to take a weapon from a peace officer.

Ohhh-kayyyy.... No word on why he got buck naked or why he decided to allegedly grab the cop's gun. But whatever the case, I'm sure he'll have a very interesting time telling his side of things in court. I'd imagine the deputies will make sure his jumpsuit's zipped extra tight.

Some big changes in how and where juvenile and adult California prisoners do their time. For the kiddies, the California legislature just passed a bill that would largely eliminate the current system and have all but the most violent juvenile offenders dealt with locally.
San Francisco Chronicle

The Los Angeles Times has a story about how the state is dealing with its overpopulated adult prison population by shipping inmates out of state to private prisons, much to the chagrin of the state's prison guard union.

Los Angeles Times

This is still developing, but cops were out in force this morning in predawn raids across the San Fernando Valley, a task force of police is cracking down this morning on gang members, career criminals, parolees and probationers in "Operation Heatwave." dailynews.com

Click below for crime news.

The mother of murdered CSUN student Michael Lynn Presley II. (photo by Kristine Keller, CSUN Daily Sundial staff photographer)

Son suffers same fate as slain father
Twenty years after his father was shot to death, Michael Lynn Presley II was also gunned down. The CSUN student had a stellar GPA and massive potential. According to this story from the Daily Sundial, CSUN's student newspaper, Presley is the third student murdered this summer.

• Actor Mel Gibson has been complying with the terms of his probation for a DUI arrest during which he disparaged Jews and women, his attorney told a judge today. dailynews.com

• Actress Lindsay Lohan was charged today with seven misdemeanor counts, including two counts each of driving under the influence. dailynews.com

• The assistant to the top general in the California National Guard remains on leave today amid an investigation of a Web site he maintains called Howtokillpeople.com. dailynews.com

• A 32-year-old fugitive who was brought to the United States from his native Armenia to face charges in a 2000 murder has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for a lighter sentence. dailynews.com
  

The following arrests were made on Aug. 21:

• Raven Street: A 30-year-old collections worker from San Fernando was arrested on suspicion of carjacking.

• 11100 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard: A 38-year-old roofer was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

• 13600 block of Daventry Street, Pacoima: A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery.

• Mount Gleason Street, Tujunga: A 29-year-old medical worker from Burbank was arrested on suspicion of making a threat to an officer.
  

Jason and I had a fascinating talk with Tony Rafael the other day, who's both the author of the recently released The Mexican Mafia and moderator of In the Hat. I've only read the first few chapters, but so far, it's pretty riveting stuff.

I wanted to talk to Rafael for a project I'm working on regarding gang origins. In Southern California, Sureño territory, you can't really tell the story of street gangs without including the influence of the prison gang known as Mexican Mafia, also known by its Spanish initial, La Eme. I'll save the good stuff for later, but in the meantime, here's some interesting tidbits.

A follow-home robbery ended in a donnybrook Tuesday night when the victim fought with his assailant in a Panorama City home. dailynews.com

This just in.... Our colleague Mr. Dobuzinskis has the news that former Sheriff's Deputy John Racz has been convicted of murder. Click the link or read on below for the first news we've got. More to come soon....

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for a feel-good story. Writing about crime, you don't find a whole lot of them. The students, teachers and administrators at St. Genevieve's High School provided a pleasant break from arrests, drugs and murder. While I initially had my doubts about how their feel good, integrity first curriculum would fare in the real world (especially since the campus is only a few blocks from where another nice guy I know got arrested), it looks like it's paid off in terms of enrollment, academics and athletics. Every now and then, it's nice to see the forces of good win out.

Here are a couple of interesting cop stories I found this morning that will get your day started off.

• Police are investigating whether two more hospitals may have dumped patients on Skid Row. AP via kfwb.com

  
  

• Former Deputy U.S. Marshal Richard Carl Eaton, a Burbank resident, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of passport fraud. burbankleader.com

Here's an "every parent's worst nightmare times two" story. A brother and sister were both killed while attending a house party in South Los Angeles.

I know that people often tune out violence that happens in particular neighborhoods over and over again, but attending house parties is practically a right of passage for young people in Los Angeles and should be something they're able to do safely. Whether kids are cutting loose at a party in Woodland Hills, Pacoima or, in this case, South Los Angeles, it shouldn't be something that costs them their lives.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who enjoyed "busting a move" on a Bermuda-grass dance floor. My condolences to the family.

Anyone with information can call the South Bureau detective at (213) 485-2417, during normal business hours or 1-877-LAW-FULL (877-520-3855) after hours.

CBS 2 News

LAPD Online

Last week, Hans and I took a little Wednesday night trip with Lt. Tom Smart and his officers of the Gang Enforcement Detail for LAPD's West Valley station. Smart's a friendly, engaging guy who seems to embody all the qualities that his last name suggests.

The squad was checking up on Canoga Park Alabama members out on parole. They'd been getting guns lately -- an AR-15 turned up on an earlier caper and this gentleman who lives across the street from Lanark Park was suspected of possessing a strap. To paraphrase my late grandmother: when you're on parole, that's a no-no.

Around 9:45 p.m., the cops strode into the courtyard of 21817 Lanark Street. No guns drawn or battering rams this time, just a firm knock on the door of an upstairs apartment and an announcement that the police had come to visit. Little kids kept wandering the complex. This wasn't the first time cops had come calling.

The gentleman with whom they'd hoped to chat wasn't at home, but his aunt, who lived there, eventually showed up to let the cops and a probation officer attached to the unit inside. She didn't look thrilled to have them digging through her nephew's belongings, but both sides were cordial. Her apartment was nicely kept up, filled with religious statues and sweltering in the late summer heat.

The probation officer in charge of the search noted that the gangster kept his room in nice shape, very neat, very clean. Unfortunately for him, that made it easy to find the paintball gun, collection of gang hats and small bottle of booze all verboten under the terms of his probation. As the cops prepared to cart it all away, his mom arrived and claimed the liquor as her own. She thought her son, who was supposed to be home by then, was at his girlfriend's house. She received a warning that he had to abide by terms of his probation-- no staying out late, no alcohol, no hanging around with the homeboys, no gang attire-- or he'd be headed back behind the walls.

As the cops finished the check, they discovered one final thing in his collection of gang artifacts: a copy of Rick's story on Canoga Park Alabama. The coppers got a good laugh out of that one-- it wasn't the first time they'd found news clippings about the gang in its members' possessions.

While we here at It's a Crime don't condone lawbreaking in any form, we're glad to see someone's reading the paper.

A judge today sentenced two gang members to 15 years to life in prison for the beating death of a 17-year-old Glendale boy. dailynews.com

The following arrests were made on Aug. 20:

• 6600 block of Whitsett Avenue, North Hollywood: A 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

• 6300 block of Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood: A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

• 8500 block of Cantaloupe Avenue, North Hills: A 68-year-old housewife was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

• 900 block Irolo Street, Los Angeles: A 34-year-old actor from Burbank was arrested on suspicion of stalking.

• 13700 block of Wingo Street, Arleta: A 21-year-old construction worker was arrested on suspicion of lewd act with a child under 14.
  

Two guys apparently Jonesn' for a fix of OxyContin and Dilaudid held up a drugstore on Aug. 11. The problem was that they were being filmed by a store surveillance camera and now cops are looking for folks to help identify the men.

The drama began Saturday, around 11:40 a.m., when the men, described as black entered the AD-RX Pharmacy at 6240 Wilshire Boulevard. They walked past the front counter to the rear of the business. One man, armed with a gun, confronted three employees and then demanded the name brand pharmaceutical drugs OxyContin and Dilaudid. When workers informed the suspect that the drugs were not available, he pistol-whipped two of the employees.

The second suspect was not armed and served as a lookout.

The suspects stole Vicodin and Tylenol 3 before fleeing the pharmacy.

The first suspect was in his 40s, 5'7" tall, 200 pounds, with a light complexion. The second suspect was in his 30s, 5'10" tall, 170 pounds, also with a light complexion.

The store employees received minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.

Anyone with information is asked to call Wilshire Robbery Detectives at (213) 922-8205. On weekends and during off-hours, phone the 24-hour toll-free Detective Information Desk at
1-877-LAW-FULL (877-529-2855).

Courtesy of our friend, Mr. Kandel, we have this story:

RESEDA - Two men were injured early Sunday with a three-foot machete in a fight at a Reseda duplex and two men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in the attack, police said.

Police didn't know what set the men off, but alcohol may have been involved.

Booze prompting a fight between roommates? I'm shocked.

I once had a roommate who left his dirty underwear in my bed and habitually kept all the lights in the apartment on at the same time, but even when he left his porn in my VCR while my girlfriend was visiting, I resisted the urge to attack him with a machete. Let's hope the accused and the victim are able to patch things up.

LAPD's vice squad snapped up 17 guys and gals while targeting hookers on my home street of Sepulveda Boulevard on Friday night. I've never been so glad to have been out of town.

And the johns weren't John Does, either. Wanna read the names of the accused? Oh, come on, you know you do: click here to see the official news release, complete with the names and communities of the folks who got caught.

Jill Leovy of the Times' Homicide Report has a piece looking at the disproportionate number of homicides in minority communities today

Homicide is not fair, hitting hardest among Latinos and especially among blacks. Latinos are killed at more than three times the rate of whites, while blacks succumb to homicide at three times the rate of Latinos, the Times analysis shows.

Adult males are the eye of the storm. The national homicide rate is about six deaths per 100,000 people each year. But for Latino men in their 20s in Los Angeles County, the rate is 52 deaths, and for black men, 176 deaths. In human terms, that means that losing a son to homicide, a remote possibility in some neighborhoods, looms as a daily threat in others.

And while the Valley certainly has its share of problems, she points out that the possibility of your kid getting blown away in Woodland Hills is considerably slimmer than the chance in Compton.

The following arrests were made over the weekend:

• 12700 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, Pacoima: A 19-year-old cabinet maker was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder .

• 5700 block of Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood: A 34-year-old manager from Glendale was arrested on suspicion of forgery.

• 6900 block of Baird Avenue, Reseda: A 29-year-old retail worker was arrested on suspicion of cultivating marijuana.

• Burbank Boulevard: A 25-year-old Sherman Oaks man was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana.

• 8900 block of Cedros Avenue, Panorama City: A 51-year-old gardener was arrested on suspicion of assault with a gun.

• 5600 block of DeSoto Avenue, Woodland Hills: A 51-year-old engineer was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon with an enhancement.

• 14400 block of Erwin Street, Van Nuys: A 20-year-old constructionf worker was arrested on suspicion of intimidation of a witness.
  

A convicted sex offender wanted for questioning in connection with the disappearance of an Orange County college student is in Los Angeles police custody in on an unrelated charge. Police said that 35-year-old John Burgess was the last person seen with 19-year-old Donna Jou on the night that she vanished. knbc.com

The San Fernando Police Department detective squad was out looking for a gun floating around the community and hassling a few punk taggers on Friday when someone dropped a dime. A guy named Jaime was selling dope out of a converted garage over on Kewen Street near Workman.

Three Crown Vics rolled up and the officers poured out, surprising the suspect as he worked on his car in the driveway. Jaime, an average looking guy with a white undershirt, blue shorts and filthy hands stood up, something black and metallic in his palm.

A man severely beat a woman in a rape attempt in the courtyard of a Glendale church but was interrupted by a good Samaritan who stabbed him repeatedly with a pocket knife. dailynews.com

The following arrests were made on Aug. 16:

• Laurel Canyon Boulevard: A 49-year-old Sylmar man was arrested on suspicion of commercial burglary.

• Nordhoff Street, A 31-year-old construction worker from Pacoima was arrested on suspicion of a hit and run with injuries.

• Lassen Street, A 41-year-old self employed man from Glendale was arrested on suspicion of possession of a pipe.

• Woodley Avenue, A 20-year-old unemployed man and an 18-year-old female student were arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery.

• Sepulveda Boulevard, A 40-year-old transient from Mission Hills was arrested on suspicion of possession of syringes.

• 7700 block of Foothill Boulevard, Tujunga: A 34-year-old caregiver and a 29-year-old unemployed woman from Pasadena were arrested on suspicion of burglary.

• Dronfield Street: A 22-year-old unemployed man from Lake View Terrace was arrested on suspicion of carrying a loaded, concealed weapon.

• Glenoaks Boulevard: A 25-year-old security guard who lives on Harmony Street in North Hollywood was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle.
  

Click below for your Friday crime news report.

I've been getting a bunch of emails looking for more info regarding Sandra Ruiz, who was badly injured in the attack that took her 6-year-old son on Sunday night. I've been out of the loop, covering other things lately, so I don't have much new info, but a source at Amgen passed along the news that the Ventura County DA had set up an assistance fund to help her out. Here's the info:
Attn: Catherine Duggan

Ventura County District Attorney's Office

Crime Victims Emergency Fund (for the benefit of Sandra Ruiz)

800 S. Victoria Ave

Ventura, CA 93009

Phone is 805-654-3622

Amgen, Ruiz's employer, will match any employee donations through its corporate charity. I'm going to be away for a few days, but hope to pass along any more details I can dig up.

Previously:
Cleaver attack kills 6-year-old

A 15-year-old boy was sentenced today to 11 years in the California Youth Authority for killing a fellow youth baseball player in Palmdale with a bat. dailynews.com

Police this morning were searching for the operators of a sophisticated pot growing operation responsible for growing 5,000 marijuana plants worth some $10 million nestled in the Verdugo Mountains above Glendale. A helicopter scouring the area located the plants on Tuesday and narcotics detectives hiked up the mountain and discovered sophisticated marijuana grow spread throughout the area. The operators had designed a watering system using the water from a tower that was designed to be used in case of brush fires. dailynews.com

The following San Fernando Valley area arrests were made on Aug. 15:

• 8700 block of Orion Avenue, North Hills: A 21-year-old carpenter from Van Nuys was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Police said the man tied a rope into a noose and tried to strangle his girlfriend. She was not seriously hurt.

• 12400 block of Roscoe Boulevard, Sun Valley: A 25-year-old student was arrested on suspicion of battery on school grounds.

• 18200 block of Hatton Street, Reseda: A 31-year-old construction worker was arrested on suspicion of possession of an assault weapon.

• 14000 block of Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks: A 20-year-old student and a 23-year-old stripper, both from Los Angeles, were arrested on suspicion of grand theft.

• 9800 block of Amboy Avenue, Pacoima: A 24-year-old ex-con was arrested on suspicion of possession of a gun.
  

Here's a new one. Out of the Daily Bulletin, our sister paper over in Ontario: Prosecutors say they will consider filing charges of illegal human experimentation against a defense attorney and his hired consultant who used a police stun gun on their own client in an attempt to re-create injuries the man suffered at the hands of police. dailybulletin.com

The following arrests were made on Aug. 14:

• 20400 block of Sherman Way, Winnetka: A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of child annoying.

• 14400 block of Erwin Street, Van Nuys: A 57-year-old general contractor was arrested on suspicion of grand theft money.

• 6600 block of Gaviota Avenue, Van Nuys: A 20-year-old unemployed man was arrested on suspicion of grand theft.

• 19500 block of Ventura Boulevard, Tarzana: A 37-year-old receptionist from Woodland Hills was arrested on suspicion of forgery.

• 14400 block of Erwin Street, Van Nuys: A 23-year-old contractor from North Hollywood was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property.

• 6600 block of Woodman Avenue, Van Nuys: Five men from Van Nuys, Palmdale and North Hollywood were arrested on gang and narcotics related charges.

• 8500 block of Reseda Boulevard, Northridge: A 25-year-old man from Glendale was arrested on suspicion attempted robbery.
  

As a 21-year-old student from Los Angeles faces rape and kidnap charges in connection with an attack of a 19-year-old woman in Reseda earlier this month, police are seeking additional victims who may have been attacked by the same man but who have not yet come forward. dailynews.com

Here's a report from yesterday's Police Commission meeting:

•Assistant Chief Earl C. Paysinger reported there are currently 393 recruits in the Police Academy, with the ethnic breakdown of 8.65% Black, 51% Hispanic, 7.38% Asian/Pacific Islander, 31.55% Caucasian, 1.78% Filipino. 83.46% are male and 16.54% are females.

•The Executive Director reported on the regulation of tow operations within the City.

•The Inspector General reported that the investigation of the January 2006 officer involved shooting involving Matthew Powell is nearing completion.

•The Inspector General reported that Lt. Fred L. Booker of Community Relations Section is retiring and will be replaced by Lt. Doug Miller.

•The Department's report, dated August 9, 2007, relative to a donation of equipment in the amount of $36,356.80, to be used by the Chief of Police and senior staff members, from the Los Angeles Police Foundation, was approved.

•The Department's report, dated August 7, 2007, relative to a request for Travel Authority for the Chief of Police to travel to Aspen, Colorado from August 23 through August 26, 2007, to participate as a speaker at the 2007 The Aspen Institute on the subject of “Policing Terrorism,” was approved.

•The verbal presentation and discussion, relative to the Department's policy as it relates to participation in U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency enforcement at medical marijuana dispensaries, was given by Commander David Doan.

•Police Commission President Anthony Pacheco asked to reschedule the presentation on status of preventative maintenance and installation of mobile radios and funding for new Astro Radios.

•The verbal presentation and discussion from the Department, relative to the process and methodology for deploying police resources, was presented by Sgt. Dan Gomez, OIC Field Deployment Unit, and Captain Robert Hauck, Special Assistant to the Assistant Director of Office of Operations.

•The Department's report, in response to City Council request (Council File No. 07-1331), relative to methamphetamine related arrests and convictions, and strategies for suppression of methamphetamine production and trafficking, as set forth, was approved.

•The Executive Director's report, relative to Proposed Fee Changes for Renewal and Relocation Permits for Fiscal Year 2007/2008, was approved.

•The Department's report, in response to City Council request (Council File No. 06-0600S78), relative to Year-end Adjustment and Financial Status Report, was approved.

•The Department's report, relative to the Ethics Enforcement Section Quarterly Report, Second Quarter 2007, in accordance with the Annual Audit Plan, was approved.

•The Department's report, relative to the Amended Discipline Report, First Quarter 2007, Table L, in accordance with Paragraph 88 of the Consent Decree, was approved.

•The Department's report, relative to the Activity Report for the month of May 2007, was approved.

•The Department's report, in response to City Council request, relative to evaluating the feasibility and cost of using Senior Detention Officers for prisoner release at the Los Angeles County Courts, was approved.

Click below for your daily crime report.

I just traded messages with the spokeswoman at Los Robles Medical Center and she ga