'My baby'

                     

On Thursday evening, family members, community activists, neighbors and police officials gathered outside the apartment complex where 8-year-old Jasmine Sanders, listed below, had been fatally shot a day before. Candles, flowers, balloons and stuffed animals were placed near the stairwell where Jasmine collapsed after she was shot. Ministers led a prayer, then the crowd raised candles and sang "In my neighborhood, I'm going to let it shine." Seconds into the song, Jasmine's mother, Shadonna Kinney, 28, above in white, broke down. "My baby, my baby," she said before screaming. She was escorted into a building across the apartment. "Give her some air," a bystander said.

Inside, she cried and screamed for about half an hour before going back outside. Police Capt. Gregory Allen of the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street Division, who was recently promoted by Police Chief William Bratton, told family members that the LAPD, the city and the community were going to come together to not only solve the crime but also make the neighborhood much safer.

At about 8 p.m. the crowd marched around the block, chanting "Stop the violence, increase the peace," and "Save our children."   Residents peeked through half-open doors and through black window bars, dogs barked and children playing paused to watch the crowd pass.

ruben vives/LAT 

'He wanted everyone to do well'

                

On Wednesday afternoon, outside a liquor store in El Sereno, Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar and Los Angeles Police Department officials announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Jesus Guevara's killers.

LAPD Hollenbeck detectives said Guevara, 24, had just cashed his check at the liquor store, at 3327 N. Eastern Ave., and was about to enter his vehicle when he was shot twice in the back. Detectives said someone yelled something out and fired at Guevara.

"Let me remind you that the shooting happened in broad daylight," Huizar said. "Broad daylight and It happened on a busy street."

The liquor store sits between a meat market and a restaurant.  "Please, we ask for your help," said Guevara's aunt, Maria Corona.

At the conference Guevara, left, was described as a promising young man. He served four years on active duty in the U.S. Navy. In 2005 he assisted in the tsunami relief effort in Thailand. After leaving active duty, Guevara remained in the Navy reserves as a petty officer.  Corona said he worked as a hydraulics engineer at Shultz Steel Co. in South Gate. Guevara's co-workers loved him, she said. Guevara was attending East Los Angeles College.

Shortly after the news conference, family members stood outside the store. Guevara's aunt and sister said he was always being encouraging. "He wanted everyone to do well," Corona said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Hollenbeck Dets. Jake Dugger or Araceli Negrete at (323) 526-3091 or (877) 529-3855.

ruben vives / LAT

A decline in homicides

After rising nearly 40% earlier this year, killings in the city of Los Angeles have fallen below last year's levels, according to LAPD statistics.

The Los Angeles Police Department said there were 204 killings in 2008 as of today, four fewer than the 208 slayings reported over the same period last year. That represented a 2% decline overall, Sgt. Ruby Malichi said.

-Andrew Blankstein/ LAT

Artesia homicide

Humberto Campos, 22, a Latino man, was shot during a dispute in the 11800 block of Arkansas Street in Artesia about 2 p.m. Monday, July 14. Campos was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Campos was standing on the sidewalk when he was approached by a Latino man. The two men began to argue, then the Latino man pulled out a gun and shot Campos several times.   

Hollywood: pedestrians killed

A Latino man and a Latina woman were killed in a hit-and-run accident at Wilcox Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood about 9 p.m. Sunday July 13.  The pair were declared dead by paramedics on the scene.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the man and woman were crossing Hollywood Boulevard when they were struck by a 2005 Honda Civic, allegedly driven by Sergio Delgado, 29, a Latino man. Authorities say Delgado was under the influence and was driving erratically and that a patrol officer attempted to pull him over. Delgado sped eastbound on Hollywood Boulevard trying to elude police and struck the pair shortly after, police said. Then Delgado pulled his car over near Cahuenga Boulevard and attempted to flee on foot, but nearby citizens held him until police arrived. Delgado was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Long Beach: burglar dies under police custody

Deshoun Kenyon Torrence, 18, a black man, died in police custody in Long Beach about 9 p.m. Saturday, July 12. Long Beach homicide detectives are investigating the incident.

According to a police statement, officers responded Saturday night to a report of a residential burglary in progress in the 600 block of Elm Avenue. In addition, officers were told that someone had been detained by residents at the scene and that they were screaming for help. When they arrived, officers were directed to Torrence. Officers reported that Torrence had sustained injuries, the statement said.

According to Ed Winter, assistant chief of investigations for the Los Angeles County coroner's office, Torrence was struck with a shotgun butt. However, Winter said, the cause of death has not been determined, pending an autopsy.  Winter also said officers had used necessary force to restrain Torrence. The police statement said Torrence became combative toward officers while being taken into custody.

Paramedics also treated Torrence at the scene, the statement said. Torrence was placed in the back of a squad car. Minutes later, after paramedics had left, Torrence was found unresponsive in the car, the statement said.  Officers performed CPR on Torrence, but he was later pronounced dead.

Victims, July 28 - Aug. 3

The following posts represent the victims of homicide in Los Angeles County for the period of July 28 - Aug. 3, 2008

Keith Chrison, 50

Keith Chrison, 50, a black man, was stabbed to death in the 4300 block of South Western Avenue near Jefferson Park on Sunday, Aug. 3. The L.A. County Coroner's office listed his time of death as 5:10 p.m.  This homicide was reported by the coroner.

Carlos Iglesias, 29

Carlos Iglesias, a 29-year-old Latino man, was stabbed twice in the chest during a fight at Olympic Boulevard and Hill Street in downtown L.A. about 2:40 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 3.  Iglesisas' was taken by ambulance to California Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities said 26-year-old Carlos Cordova, a Latino man, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

A second suspect, Erick Colindres, 26, a Latino man, is also wanted for the murder of Cordova. Anyone with information can call LAPD's Central Division Dets. Thayer Lake or Jamie Bennett at (213) 972-1203

-ruben vives/Los Angeles Times

Aaron Patterson, 20

Aaron Patterson, 20, a black man, was shot and killed at 99th Street and Central Avenue in South-Central Los Angeles on Saturday, Aug. 2. The L.A. County Coroner's office listed his time of death as 3:30 p.m. This homicide was reported by the coroner.

-ruben vives/Los Angeles Times

'This has got to stop'

                  

Edward Satterstrom, 16, a Latino youth, was shot several times in the chest near Roscoe and Laurel Canyon boulevards in North Hollywood about 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2. He was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

On Monday, in the community room of the LAPD's North Hollywood Division, Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas, pictured above, and police officials announced the identification of Satterstrom's alleged shooter.

David Aranda Hernandez, 18, pictured right, allegedly approach Satterstrom as he was walking with a female friend, said police Lt. Alan Hamilton at the conference.   Hamilton said some words were exchanged, then Satterstrom was shot in the chest. But he managed to run to a nearby Taco Bell restaurant, where he collapsed, Hamilton said. Witnesses told police that a young Latino man, now identified as Hernandez, was seen running from the area. Hamilton said Hernandez, a resident of North Hollywood, may now have short hair and is still in the San Fernando Valley area. He said Hernandez is associated with a gang from Pacoima and may have been in the area looking for a gang confrontation. Hamilton added that Satterstrom was not a gang member.

"He is a good kid," Cardenas said. "He was a father figure for his six siblings."

Satterstrom lived with his grandmother in Sun Valley. He was a varsity football player at John Francis Polytechnic High School and wanted to go to USC to play football, his girlfriend told the Daily News. This is the second shooting involving a football player from Polytechnic High School.  On May 31, Jesus Florian, 17, was fatally shot at a party.  Hamilton said the investigation into that shooting is still ongoing.  "In less than three months two students from Poly High School in the San Fernando Valley have been killed, Cardenas said. "This has got to stop."

Anyone with information about the shooting can call North Hollywood homicide detectives at (818) 623-4075

Update: A fund-raising car wash to help cover funeral expenses for 16-year-old Edward Satterstron will be held Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Brewline Coffee Shop, located at 1240 Truman St. in San Fernando. The wash will be held between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

The Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Coroner's office initially reported Edward's last name as Satterstron, but North Hollywood homicide detectives said the correct spelling of his name is Satterstrom. A school official also confirmed the spelling of Edward's last name.

-Ruben Vives/LAT

Jasmine Denson, 19

Jasmine Denson, 19, a black woman, was killed at a home in the 2400 block of Lincoln Avenue in Altadena about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2.

Officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said the woman was shot, then fell or was pushed out a window. Deputies arrested Tony Taylor, a 50-year-old black man, on suspicion of murder.

-ruben vives/Los Angeles Times

Juan Abel Escalante, 27

Juan Abel Escalante, 27, a Latino man, also an off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, was killed in a drive-by shooting near Thorpe and Aragon avenues in Cypress Park about 5:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2. The deputy was declared dead at the scene.

According to authorities, Escalante was leaving his parent's home for work at the Men's Central Jail when a four-door vehicle approached him. Someone from inside the vehicle then fired several rounds, striking Escalante, authorities said.  At a morning news conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said Escalante was in the process of buying a home in Pomona and that he was a U.S. military veteran. He was a father of three children. Escalante had at least 2 years of service in the department.

More on the Cypress Park shooting.

-ruben vives/LAT

Alexander Neal, 20

Alexander Neal, 20, a black man, was shot and killed during a home-invasion robbery in the 24300 block of Burbank Boulevard in Woodland Hills about 2:45 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1.

According to a Los Angeles Police Department statement, the shooting occurred when three armed men kicked down the front door of a family home. "A family member in another part of the house was alerted by the intrusion and saw the suspects confronting his family," the statement said.

Authorities said the man armed himself and confronted the intruders. The three men and the family member exchanged gunfire. Police said Neal was struck several times and died at the scene. The two other men ran from the house, got into a silver sedan and sped east on Burbank Boulevard. Police described the outstanding suspects as two black men in their 20s. Police did not say whether any other family members were injured.

Anyone with information is asked to call LAPD West Valley homicide detectives at (818) 374-7730

-ruben vives/LAT

Gilbert Rodriguez, 23

Gilbert Rodriguez, 23, a young Latino, was shot and killed in the 1127 12th Street in San Pedro on Aug. 1. The L.A. County coroner listed his time of death as 3:15 a.m.

This homicide was reported by the coroner.

Jesse Moore, 56

Jesse Moore, 56, a black man, was shot and killed by police officers at  Central Avenue and Wilde Street about 10:20 p.m. in Downtown Los Angeles Thursday, July 31.

Below, the Los Angeles Police Department's press statement regarding the shooting:

"Suspect being investigated for a narcotics violation attacked officers with a knife.

On Thursday, July 31, 2008, uniformed officers assigned to Central Bureau Safer City Detail were patrolling in the area of Central Avenue and Wilde Street. At about 10:20 p.m., the officers saw a narcotics suspect that had concealed himself in a tent on the sidewalk.  As the officers approached the suspect to conduct their interview, the suspect lunged at one of the officers with a knife. Officers, Brian Indreland and Thomas Denton fired their handguns at the suspect in defense of their lives.

The suspect, identified as Jesse Moore, 56, was struck by the gunfire and was taken into custody.

Moore was taken to a local hospital for treatment where he died. 

Officer Brian Indreland has been with the Department for 3 years and 10 months and Officer Thomas Denton has 2 years and 3 months of service.

Neither officer was injured during the incident.

Force Investigation Division is handling the investigation."

Adolfo Vazquez, 17

Adolfo Vazquez, 17, a young Latino, was fatally shot in the head in the 5500 block of Everett Avenue in Maywood Wednesday, July 30. The L.A. County Coroner's office listed Vazquez' time of death as 1:18 p.m. Detectives with the L.A. County Sheriff's homicide bureau are investigating.

Pamela Fayed, 45

Pamela Fayed, 45, a white woman, was fatally stabbed during an assault at 1875 E. Century Park in Century City about 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 28.

According to Sgt. Ruby Malachi of the Los Angeles Police Department, Fayed, who lived in Ventura County, was on the third floor of a parking structure, when a man approached her and stabbed her several times in the neck. Witnesses told police that they heard the woman screaming for help. At least two doctors and a bystander went to her aide, Malachi said.  Fayed was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.  The suspect was described as a slender man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. He was last seen driving from the parking lot in a red sport-utility vehicle. "We're still early into the investigation," Malachi said.  The parking lot is surrounded by several high-rise buildings and is around the corner from Fox Studios and Beverly Hills. There is only one main entrance to the parking lot, and  drivers usually must pay before exiting. More on the Century City stabbing in the Los Angeles Times.

(You have reached the end of the weekly listing of homicide victims in Los Angeles County, July 28 -Aug. 3, 2008.)

-ruben vives/LAT

women are sentenced to life

A Los Angeles judge today sentenced Helen Golay, 77 and Olga Rutterschmidt, 75, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing two homeless men in staged hit-and-run accidents to collect $2.8 million in life insurance. The two women were convicted in April on two counts of murder and conspiracy to murder for financial gain in the killings of Kenneth McDavid, 50, and Paul Vados, 73, both pictured left. Times staff writer Victoria Kim reports more on the trial.

'In her own way, she accomplished a lot'

Cynthia Vargas was a high school dropout. Still, she promised her family that she would do something with her life.

She enrolled at United Education Institute (UEI) to become a medical assistant. Her test scores averaged between 85% to 95%, according to her older sister, Evelyn Vargas, 21.

Eight days before graduating from UEI, Vargas, 20, was shot in the back of the head in the 12700 block of 58th Street in Huntington Park about 1 a.m. Sunday, June 1.

Evelyn Vargas said she was on her way to pick up her younger sister for breakfast when she spotted police cars and yellow tape. She thought nothing of it. "It should have hit me," Evelyn said. "Everybody should have been outside, but no one one was around, so I thought she was inside."

An hour later, Evelyn Vargas said she drove back to the crime scene. She told an officer that her sister had been in the area and that she hadn't arrived home. An officer took down her information and told her he would call upon locating her sister.

Later, she got a phone call from the police. They said her younger sister was at St. Francis Medical Center. At the hospital, doctors told the family that Vargas had been declared brain dead but was kept on life support because she was an organ donor.  Evelyn Vargas said she walked to her sister's bed. She said her sister's face was swollen; blood flowed from her nose, eyes and ears, she recalled in a phone interview. She said her sister's hair was stiff with dried blood. "I thought I was hallucinating," she said.

Detectives told the family they had arrested a 16-year-old Latino youth on suspicion of murder. For the family, it was no longer about who had shot Vargas, but whether she knew the shooting was about to happen. Occasionally, Evelyn Vargas spends her time in her sister's old room, expecting her to come home. She said she tries to take comfort in knowing that her sister's donated organs are helping others. "Someone will have her heart, her lungs. It's good that she's going to help," she said. "In her own way she accomplished a lot." 

'How is it that this happened to my son'

                  

On Wednesday morning, outside the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood Division, homicide detectives and City Councilman Eric Garcetti announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrests of Diego Cruz's killers. Above, Cruz's father, Martimiano Cruz, 38, speaks with reporters about his son.

According to authorities, 14-year-old Diego Cruz was on his way to a Sears store on Santa Monica Boulevard about 8 p.m.  on Christmas Eve when he was shot. Cruz collapsed in front of the store.

"It's been difficult,"  his father said. "Sometimes I don't sleep much because I'm up thinking: How is it that this happened to my son?"

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Hollywood detectives at (213) 972-2968.

Victims, July 21-27

The following posts represent the victims of homicide in Los Angeles County for the period of July 21-27, 2008

Larry Pierson, 46

Larry Pierson, 46, a black man, was killed in the 900 East Holt Avenue in Pomona on Sunday, July 27. The L.A. County Coroner's office listed Pierson's death as 12:05 p.m.

-ruben vives/LAT

Jacqueline Contreras, 20

Jacqueline Contreras, a 20-year-old Latina woman, was stabbed to death in a murder-suicide in the 300 block of East Century Boulevard in South Los Angeles about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 27.

A Latino man called 911 and told the dispatcher that he had just committed a murder, said Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department's media relations office.  Officers went to a converted garage of a home in the 300 block of East Century Boulevard, where Contreras was found lying on the bed with several stab wounds. Her boyfriend, a 29-year-old a Latino man, had hung himself inside the same room. Police took Contreras' two children, a 4-year-old and an 18-month-old, in protective custody. The children were also inside the garage, police said. The motive has not been determined, authorities said.

Initially, police reported that the woman had been shot. The name of Contreras' boyfriend was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call South Bureau Homicide Dets. Kerri Potter or Mike Owens at (213) 485-1383. And on weekends at (877) 529-3855

-ruben vives/lat

Adiel Quezada, 17

Adiel Quezada, 17, a Latino youth, was fatally shot outside his home at Avalon Boulevard and 139th Street, near Athens Village about 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 25.

According to a neighbor, Quezada had stepped out of his apartment and was in the parking lot when he was shot several times. Glass-encased vigil candles and two buckets of flowers were placed in front of the parking lot, where Quezada collapsed.

ruben vives/LAT

Antonio Leanos, 21

Antonio Leanos, 21, a young Latino, was shot and killed in the 4700 block of Mascot Street Thursday, July 24. The L.A. County Coroner's office listed Leanos' death as 2:30 p.m.  Homicide detectives from LAPD's Wilshire Division are investigating.

Dominique Eugene Anderson, 38

Dominique Eugene Anderson, a 38-year-old black man, was fatally shot during a fight in the 8500 block of south Figueroa Street  in Los Angeles about 2:15 p.m. Thursday, July 24.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Anderson was involved in a fight with the suspect in the parking lot of Manchester Place, a strip mall. During the argument, the suspect pulled out a handgun and fired one round at Anderson, who attempted to run into a discount store. Anderson collapsed in the doorway of the store and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Officer Jason Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department's media relations office, the suspect was described as a black man with salt and pepper hair, wearing a vertical stripped shirt and a white shirt. Authorities said he was seen running east through the parking area toward Figueroa Street.

Above: Homicide detectives from LAPD's 77th Street Division start to investigate the shooting.  Almost an hour later, a car accident occurs around the corner from the crime scene. Bystanders watching detectives then run off to look at the car crash.

ruben vives/LAT

Christian Portillo, 35

Christian Portillo, 35, a Latino man, was shot to death by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy in the 11000 block of Dalerose Avenue in Lennox about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday, July 23.

Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department, told the L.A. Times that two deputies were on patrol when they saw a man sitting in his parked car. Whitmore said the deputies approached the man and said he was  "physically startled, agitated and reached under his seat." One of the deputies, fearing for his safety, fired his weapon, hitting Portillo in the upper torso, according to Whitmore. More on the deputy-involved shooting. Portillo was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. No drugs or weapons were found in the vehicle, Whitmore said.

Los Angeles County public records show that Portillo was convicted of driving with a suspended license, and more than 15 years ago he was convicted on charges of vandalism and bringing drugs into a prison or jail. The office of Independent Review and the Sheriff's Department were investigating the shooting.

-ruben vives/LAT

'She didn't deserve this'

Jasmine Sanders, 8, a black child, was fatally shot in the chest at 249 E. 76th St. in South-Central Los Angeles about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 23.

According to witnesses, Jasmine was playing outside with her little brother and other children behind an iron gate.

Witnesses told police that two black youths approached a group of male youths sitting on a porch behind a stairway. One of them, dressed in a white shirt and dark pants, fired a round at the group, but missed and struck Jasmine in the chest instead.

Witnesses said the force of the shot pushed Jasmine back against the stairs. Her mother came down and picked her up, then carried her upstairs into their apartment, where she and a neighbor applied pressure  on her chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding, witnesses said.

Jasmine was taken by ambulance to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Residents at the apartment building said the incident marked the fifth shooting in the last week. They pointed out bullets from recent shootings still lodged in the gate.  Around the corner from the apartment is John C. Fremont High School and a block away is the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street Division.

The next morning, Jasmine's mother, Shadonna Kinney, 28, returned to the apartment building to pick up a few belongings. She addressed the shooters through news cameras that were stationed outside of the building.

"You senseless guys," she said.  "Do the right thing; come forward, come forward, come forward."

Residents said the family had been living at the apartment for three weeks and that Jasmine had two brothers. Kinney said her daughter was enrolled at 75th Street Elementary School.

"She didn't deserve this," she said. "Somebody knows something."

Community activists have planned a vigil at the apartment building at 7 p.m. tonight.

ruben vives/ LAT

Joshua Rodriguez, 20

Joshua Rodriguez, 20, Latino man was fatally shot during a fight at Mulberry Drive and Ruoff Avenue in an unincorporated area of south Whittier about 1:49 p.m. Wednesday, July 23.

According to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, the Rodriguez got into an argument with another man, who belonged to a rival tagging crew. They began fighting. The other man pulled out a handgun and fired several shots, hitting Rodriguez in the upper torso.  He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Anyone with information can call the sheriff's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500. Callers can remain anonymous.

-ruben vives/LAT