LAPD Partners Caught In The Act

Above, the LAPD police car involved was similar to this one.

Back in the 1990s, I worked armed security patrol in-between insurance claim jobs. I had a permit to carry a .38 Special or .357 Magnum revolver while on duty.

I forget which security company I was working for when I came upon a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) squad car in the parking lot of a park in the North Hollywood/Sherman Oaks area. It was either AMSEC or Protection One I worked for at the time. 

The other day, a friend on Facebook jogged my memory of the incident I am about to describe. 

This is what happened:

I went to patrol the park's parking lot and in a far, dark corner, I saw a LAPD police car parked. A pair of bare legs sticking out the car window caught my attention when I first saw the police car. Driving closer, I saw one male and one female LAPD cops in the back seat of the squad car having "indoor Olympics". They got hit by my spotlight. The male cop got out and tried to give me a hard time. I just said, "Personally, I don't care. But we can have your watch commander deal with this." He backed off. During this time, the lady cop, a pretty blonde, was hurriedly getting dressed. I think the two were partners (in more ways than one).

I didn't bother to notify LAPD of the matter. I thought the officers were embarrassed enough. We all got a good laugh over this at the security company's headquarters. They all knew about it as I went "Code 6" (unit has arrived to location, conducting field investigation) with dispatch when I was approaching the police car. I don't recall if I had to submit a written report.

This kind of activity involving police officers isn't all that rare. All one has to do is Google it. 

Here's an example.

Criminals Kill 2 Business Owners In Los Angeles

When I was in Los Angeles two weekends ago, I saw first hand how the criminal element is destroying businesses and the overall quality of life there. I was there for a class reunion. The Democrats and their soft-on-crime policies have made California a shithole. 

I was born in Los Angeles and lived there all my life until four and a half years ago when I moved to New Mexico. But I was really happy to head back home to New Mexico. 

Actor James Woods posted the following today:

Yes, I thank my lucky stars I got out when I did.

Garcetti To Slash Up To $150 Million From LAPD Budget

The Looney Left Report

Here's another example of why I am glad that I moved out of Commiefornia, especially Los Angeles. The city is being governed by liberal lunatics.

Fox News reported:

LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that he tasked the city to “identify $250 million in cuts” to invest more money into the black community, communities of color,  women and “people who have been left behind." 

The Los Angeles Times reported that the city will try and cut between $100 million to $150 million from its police budget alone. Garcetti said it is incumbent on the city to “step up and say, ‘What can we sacrifice?’”

So Garcetti thinks that sacrificing public safety will help? Insane!

Actor James Woods Tweeted:

Why don’t you folks who want to “defund the police” simply “opt out” from police protection? You could all send notarized letters to your local departments that you no longer wish to participate. Police costs would be less. Taxpayers would save money. Win/win for everybody! #Fool

To read more, go here. 

Daryl Gates Must Be Spinning In His Grave

Lunatics! This is the current LAPD Chief of Police?! Daryl Gates must be spinning in his grave!



#SanctuaryCitiesAreCriminal

2000 Silverlake Homicide

Above, the far back building above was where the homicide took place.

In-between insurance claims jobs, I often worked as an armed security patrol officer back in the 1990s and the following occurred during my last stint.

I was working a "dedicated area" consisting of the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, in the Rampart Division area of the L.A.P.D. for Protection One.

I received a radio call about a disturbance at the Hollywood Inn Express motor lodge. I was told to see the motel manager first upon arrival.

When I arrived, he told me that a man and a woman came and told him that someone was shot in a room in the far back building. Immediately, my gut feeling was that the police should be immediately notified. I told him to call the police and I would keep the room under surveillance until they arrived. I also notified my dispatcher.

When the police went into the room, I followed and saw the girl's body on the bathroom floor of the room.

The following is a Los Angeles Police Department press release:

Rampart Homicide Detectives are investigating the shooting death of a Hispanic female, 15 years of age. The victim was discovered shot to death inside room number 134 of the Hollywood Inn Express South Motel located at 141 North Alvarado Street, Los Angeles. The victim was discovered by Rampart Patrol Officers responding to an "Assault with a Deadly Weapon" call on Wednesday, January 26, 2000, at approximately 4:00 am.  

The victim was found lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene.  

The investigation revealed the victim, two witnesses( a male and female Hispanic), along with the suspect checked into the motel at approximately 2:30 am on Wednesday, January 26, 2000. At approximately 3:30 am, the male witness went down to the night window and informed the clerk that someone had been shot inside the room. The witnesses then fled. The police and paramedics were notified. While the officers were at the scene, the witnesses returned and identified themselves.  

The suspect and the male witness met the victim and the female witness at a nightclub. When the club closed they decided to continue the party at the motel. While inside the room the victim and the suspect became involved in an argument. During the argument the suspect produced a handgun and fired multiple rounds at the victim. The victim was struck numerous times about the body. The suspect then fled on foot.  

The suspect is described as a male, Hispanic, 5'6" to 5'7" tall. 110 to 120 pounds, 22 to 25 years of age. He has a thin build, dark complexion, and short hair. He was wearing a dark checkered shirt, black pants and white shoes.  

The suspect fled the scene taking the murder weapon with him. The cause of the argument has not been established. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending the notification of the next of kin. 

This wasn't the first "187" (penal code for homicide) I was involved in. Previously, I was flagged down by a man who came across a male gang victim lying in the middle of Dronfield Ave. in the Shadow Hills area of the San Fernando Valley. 

To date, I don't know if either cases were solved and the killers were prosecuted.

Van Nuys Robbery Pursuit: A Suspect Looks Familiar!

While watching the news tonight on KNBC Channel 4 this evening, I saw a video of a police pursuit of a burglary suspect that took place in the Van Nuys/North Hollywood area.

Of course I watched it, but something stunning came on the screen towards the end.

But first, here's the story from ABC7.:

The suspect drove erratically through surface streets, narrowly missing other cars and pedestrians at times. 

Once the suspect ditched the car and started running, officers caught up to him and tackled him. 

A female passenger who jumped out of the vehicle during the pursuit ran into a construction area. She was eventually captured and taken away in an ambulance.

When the female suspect jumped (or fell) out of the Jeep, she was hanging onto the door and appeared to be dragged several yards on her knees (that must have been painful). No wonder she needed an ambulance later.

Here's a video from Fox 11 News (the female suspect is shown being carried to an ambulance at about 37 minutes into the video):




What caught my attention on the KNBC video was that the female suspect on a stretcher looked very familiar! I can't say with 100% certainty, but she sure as hell looked like my ex-fiancee!

The KNBC video that was broadcast had a much closer shot of her, but it was fleeting. I saw it twice and the woman did look like her (hopefully not, for her son's sake). Unfortunately, the KNBC video on their website does not include the shot of the female suspect on the gurney.

The Fox 11 video shows her, but it is too far away for me to make a positive identification.

My "honorary sister" said after I sent her a screen capture of the female subject:

It is not beyond belief with that one.  It may be possible to find out.  For her to even be up to anything illegal is not beyond reason, either.

 Here's two screen captures from the above Fox 11 video:

Maybe it's her, or maybe not. As my "honorary sister" said, it may be possible to find out. After arraignment, suspects are taken into custody by the Los Angeles County Sheriff. There, suspect information can be obtained from their website. The media will also post the names of the suspects.

If it is her, karma finally caught up with her!

(UPDATE 12/1/17): It wasn't her. They say "everyone has a double", and this gal sure has a close resemblance. 

That's A Wrap!

Finally, after seven months, the arsenal is now completely back where it belongs.

This morning, I went to the Van Nuys Division of the Los Angeles Police Department to pick up my Ruger 10/22 rifle from the property department, where they were holding it for me. The whole process seemed like it would never end.

All this baloney started last August when Denise Santos tried to set me up on some sort of false stalking charge that culminated in a application for a temporary restraining order. I was served the order by one of her flying monkeys. This was a bizarre state of affairs since I was the one who ended things, including the imposition of no contact.

Above, Denise Santos on Hot Bench.

I first suspected that I was being set up when Denise sent me a text message while I was camping in Ventura Beach with my former roomie Jessica in early July. Included in her message, she said, "Please stop contacting me via text or email." At that point, I hadn't been texting her for weeks due to my imposition of no contact and the only time I emailed her was to send a demand letter, which the courts require before bringing forth a lawsuit. She knew a lawsuit would be forthcoming, so it should not have been any surprise. (The lawsuit was heard on Hot Bench in September.) Her text message caused my "Spidey sense" to start tingling. Why would she say that when I hadn't been in any contact with her? Hmm. In the weeks that followed, her accusations began to snowball. That's why I ratcheted up the rhetoric on this blog to leave an electronic "paper trail" during those weeks.

The last round of text messages occurred about 2 weeks after our Hot Bench appearance in September. Denise started off as accusatory and threatening. They began very rough, but ended (surprisingly) on a more cordial note. Finally, cooler heads prevailed from both sides. We haven't bothered each other since.

Getting back to the gun matter, part of the temporary restraining order was that I had to turn in all my firearms to either law enforcement or to a licensed gun dealer. This I did. Afterwards, she had the temporary restraining order dismissed as my attorney and I had ample evidence refuting her charges. But, in the months that followed, I had to deal with the California Department of Justice to get authorization to get my firearms back. This was a long and tedious process. Today, all I had to do was to go to Van Nuys with my i.d. and the DOJ authorization and they gave me the rifle. Finally, the last firearm has been returned to me and the matter is now closed.

I have to say that the officers with the LAPD in the West Valley and Van Nuys Divisions were pleasant and professional to work with during this process.

As they say during the end of a movie production, "That's a wrap!"

The Light At The End of The Tunnel

Above, the Ruger 10/22. Photo: Ruger.com.

The light at the end of the tunnel indicates that the long (since August) annoyance of having to turn in my firearms to the LAPD due to a temporary restraining order application is nearly over.

As indicated before, the application was done in revenge or retaliation over the impending (at the time) Small Claims Court lawsuit (that was heard on Hot Bench) and/or the fact that I was the one who ended all contact with my ex-fiancee, Denise Santos.

According to the Lucky Otters Haven:

When you reject a narcissist they are forced to confront their own emptiness and nothing scares them more than that.  They will fight tooth and nail to avoid it, even if it means they have to destroy you in the process.

Above, Denise Santos on Hot Bench.

Part of the temporary restraining order application stipulated that I had to turn in all my firearms to either a licensed dealer or to law enforcement until the matter was decided. Once it was decided (it was dismissed as I had ample proof that the "stalking" accusation was bogus), I got authorization from the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to retrieve them, except one. The one was my Ruger 10/22 rifle as it was not registered with the Automated Firearms System (AFS) since I bought it in the early 1980s before the AFS went into operation.

Since it is now registered, the DOJ gave me authorization to retrieve it and I have an appointment set for next week to do just that. The main problem had been the slow process with the DOJ and the AFS. One could not act until the other acted.

Despite all, working with both the detective handling the case and the property unit's manager has been a good experience. We're all now on first-name basis.

Once I retrieve it, the whole matter will be over and done with. 

Christopher Dorner and Charlie

Above, fugitive Christopher Dorner.

It has been reported in the media during the past 24 hours that actor Charlie Sheen was complimented in cop-killer Christopher Dorner's "manifesto" and Sheen, while on TMZ, said that he appreciated the "kind words" and asked Dorner to "please call me" to see how the current manhunt can be peacefully resolved.  (Funny, Sheen didn't leave his phone number for Dorner to call him.)

It just so happened that I worked earlier today at the exclusive community where Sheen lives.   The gate guard and I joked, "Wouldn't it be funny if we called Sheen's residence and told him, "A Mr. Dorner is here to see you.""

Besides getting our butts fired for such a prank, the whole LAPD (including S.W.A.T.) would be swarming the place as anyone can pick up our radio transmissions.

Heh, heh!

Estimated One Million Witnessed Shuttle's Move; Crime Down

Above, Endeavour early Saturday morning in Inglewood.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been estimated that about one million people witnessed the space shuttle Endeavour move through the streets of Inglewood and Los Angeles as it made it way from LAX to the California Science Center in Exposition Park.

Also, crime in the city was down during the time of the shuttle's move.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

But in recapping the LAPD's efforts to patrol the crowds, [L.A.P.D. Chief] Beck told the Police Commission on Tuesday that the spectators were perhaps the best he's ever seen. "I maybe have never been involved in policing a crowd that was so positive and so proud," he said. 

Crime rates for the city during the shuttle's weekend journey, he said, were the lowest in months.

To read the full article, and to see a fascinating time-lapse video of the shuttle's move, go here.

Police Activity

Stepping outside to walk the dog, I saw around eight police units of the Los Angeles Police Department congregated two buildings to the west of my apartment building.

One neighbor said he saw them earlier with guns drawn.

Here's what I saw:

LAPD Swings Into Action

The LAPD swung into action last night in clearing out the encampment of the Occupy L.A. protesters at City Hall Park.

The latest is that 200 persons were arrested.

Kudos to the LAPD!

L.A.P.D. Wimps Out

Above, L.A. City Hall. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Los Angeles Police Department announced that Occupy L.A. protesters must de-camp from City Hall's grounds by midnight last night.

The protesters are still there and the LAPD is telling the media that protesters will be moved out "on our timetable."

It looks to me and many others that the non-enforcement of the deadline is a "wimp-out" on the part of the LAPD.

What's the point in setting a deadline and not enforce it?

It has been reported that costs to cities across the country associated with the Occupy Wall Street protests (property damage, law enforcement, etc.) exceeds $13 million.

Daryl F. Gates Dies At 83

Former Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates has died of bladder cancer at his home in Dana Point, California. He was 83.

Gates served as LAPD police chief from 1978 to 1992, following the L.A. Riots in the aftermath of the Rodney King acquittals.

Gates is credited for the creation of LAPD's S.W.A.T. unit.

Following his retirement, he had is own talk show on KFI-AM.

Liberals didn't like Gates much, but I thought he was a superb police chief.

S.W.A.T. Is At The Next Street Over

It's been an interesting morning here in Tarzana.

The next street over from me, the police S.W.A.T. team has a barricated man situation. It started last night when police were called over a fight between a woman and her boyfriend.

A woman was found shot and the suspect barricaded himself and fired on the police. The streets near my block have been blocked by the L.A.P.D. and I hear the constant noise from the police helicopter.

For more, go here.

Damn It! Not Again! The Abduction and Murder of Lily Burk

Burk family photo.

The scenario is all too familiar: A girl in her late teens goes missing. A worried family tries calling her by cell phone. The police are called. A search begins. A body is found. A family is left grieving.

Ever since the abduction and murder of Kelsey Smith of Overland Park, Kansas in June 2007, my concern over the safety of young women had heightened. Time and again, we see repeatedly news stories of the abduction of girls and women over the media.

This concerns me as a father of a 22-year-old daughter who is in her senior year in college. That is why the cases involving Amber Dubois, Kara Kopetsky and others have caught my attention along with the case of Kelsey Smith.

Now we have another abduction and murder of a young girl, age 17. Her name is Lily Burk. Sadder yet, she was an only child.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

Police said Burk left her Los Feliz home at about 2 p.m. Friday and later made at least two calls to her parents asking how to get cash from an ATM machine using her credit card. Investigators said that it appears she died from blunt force trauma. Her death is being investigated as a homicide.

As in the Kelsey Smith case, a cell phone is a major player in the investigation. Her parents frantically tried calling her. The pings picked up indicated that her movements were moving in an eastward direction. Los Feliz is near Hollywood and her vehicle with her body was found just east of downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Alameda Ave. and 5th Street. She was found yesterday.

The intersection Burk was found is in an area I patrol frequently as a field supervisor for Securitas USA.

Again, the victim was one with career aspirations:

“Lily was looking forward to going to college, to being a writer, to what was ahead,” her parents said in the statement. “She had a really bright future and it was cut short. If there is anything that people can take away from this horrible tragedy, it’s that life is fragile and that they should live every minute of it fully.”

From the Los Angeles Times:

"She was my best friend," Deborah Drooz, 54, said of her only child. "She was warm and funny and incredibly gifted verbally. We read books together. We loved each other very much. She was looking forward to her life."

Sgt. Miguel Arana of the Los Angeles Police Department said there were signs of a struggle inside the car. Lily appeared to have head injuries from striking the passenger side of the front windshield, but the car did not show signs of having been in a crash, he said.

Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz said that the cause of death appeared to be blunt force trauma and that there was "strong evidence" that Lily was killed by 5 p.m. Friday. He declined to disclose more details.

Drooz and her husband, Gregory Burk, 59, said their daughter left home about 2:30 p.m. Friday to pick up exams for her mother, an attorney and an adjunct professor at Southwestern University School of Law on Wilshire Boulevard, near downtown.

Lily picked up the papers and, more than an hour later, made separate calls to each of her parents, asking them how to get cash using her credit card at an ATM, police said.

Lily seemed in a rush, her father said, but not frightened. She said she needed money to buy shoes. Her parents said they told her to come home.

When she had not returned by 5 p.m., her parents became worried.

The latest news reports are that police are closing in on a suspect in Burk's murder. I suspect that she was being forced to withdraw money from her credit card but didn't know how to do so and went to several of them. Her abductor may be seen with her in videos taken from ATM cameras. (Again, this is just me speculating, nothing official.)

Hopefully, the police will capture the killer of Lily Burk and get him off the streets. But there are others out there.

The Kelsey Smith Foundation (or Kelsey's Army) has tips for young women and girls on how to be aware of their surroundings. Although they are permanently posted on this blog, I am going to post them here as it bears repeating:

1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.

2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.

3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.

4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed,

5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.

Remember the acronym TIPS:

Take Charge

Inform others of your whereabouts

Prepare for any situation

Survival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen).

For more information on personal safety, contact Kelsey's Army.

UPDATE (7/27/09): The Los Angeles Police Department had made an arrest in the murder of Lily Burk.

According to MyFoxLA:

The Los Angeles Police Department announced today it had made an arrest in the death of 17-year-old Lily Burk, whose body was found in her car near Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend.

Charlie Samuel, 50, of Los Angeles was booked for murder and being held without bail, the LAPD reported. He was arrested Sunday night, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Web site.

The teen "is believed to have been the victim of a botched robbery," according to the LAPD statement.

The LAPD has scheduled a press conference on the case for 11:00 this morning. Let's hope they have solid evidence to put this animal away for good or the death penalty. Kudos to the LAPD for the swift arrest!