Public Safety

Reward Established For Information Related To Shooting Deaths Of Five Homeless Persons In Long Beach

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $20,000 reward this week, at the request of Supervisor Don Knabe, for information related to shooting incidents that led to the death of five homeless persons in the City of Long Beach.

On November 2, 2008, a quintuple murder occurred in the City of Long Beach in a homeless encampment. The investigation started with an anonymous caller who reported the crime. The caller gave a brief description of the location which led California Highway Patrol officers to the crime scene. Arriving officers found 5 people dead from gun shot wounds inside of a homeless encampment along the south bound side of the 405 freeway at the Santa Fe Avenue off-ramp.

The following residents of Los Angeles County were identified as the victims of the murder: Katherine Lynn Verdun – 24 years old, Long Beach resident; Vanessa Malaepule – 34 years old, Carson resident; Jose Lorenzo Villicana – 44 years old, Long Beach resident; Frederick Doyle Neumeier – 53 years old, Long Beach resident; and Hamid Shraifat – 41 years old, Signal Hill resident.

It is important for the County of Los Angeles to display its resolve in protecting innocent citizens from appalling crimes, said Supervisor Knabe. In order to bring these suspects to justice, and demonstrate our intolerance to such deplorable crimes, I believe these reward should be established, hoping someone will come forward so that we can bring these suspects to justice.

Any person having any information related to the November 2 incident is asked to contact Detectives Mark McGuire or Hugo Cortes of the Long Beach Police Department – Homicide Division at (562) 570-7244.

Los Angeles County Golf Club 2009 Schedule

Supervisor Knabe invites you to experience the wonders of the Los Angeles County Golf System; an affordable, quality and accessible recreational activity for the residents of Los Angeles County.

The Los Angeles County Golf Club (LACGC) visits and conducts tournaments at a different County golf course each month. In 2009, the LACGC will visit four Fourth District golf courses; Lakewood Golf Course on January 25, La Mirada Golf Course on February 22, Diamond Bar Golf Course on June 28, and Los Verdes Golf Course on December 13. Additionally, in 2009 we have added two new tournament events to our schedule, LA County Club Championship, and the LA County / PLGA Partners Cup.

Dust your clubs off and join the fun! Log onto www.lacountygolfclub.com or call (626) 254-8533 for more information. See below for the full 2009 schedule for the LACGC.

Hours Extended This Weekend For Early Voting

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) Dean Logan reported that extended hours will be offered this weekend for voters wishing to vote early.

Early voting activity in L.A. County reflects high interest by voters wishing to cast their ballots prior to Election Day, said Logan. They are flocking to the RR/CC in record breaking numbers. The weekend of October 25-26, we began a ‘seven day a week cycle’ open to the public for early voting. During that weekend alone over 2,600 voters came into the office, with another 1,300+ the following Monday.

To accommodate the growing number of voters wishing to vote early, office hours at RR/CC Headquarters will be extended this Friday and Saturday. Hours of operation on Friday, October 31 and Saturday, November 1 will be 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Early voting will also be available Sunday, November 2, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Hours on Wednesday and Thursday, October 29 and 30 and Monday, November 3 will remain 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The RR/CC office is located at 12400 Imperial Highway in the City of Norwalk.

To date, over 977,000 voters have requested vote by mail ballots, and more than 329,500 have returned their voted ballot by mail or in-person to the RR/CC.

The number of vote by mail ballots requested has surpassed the prior record from the November 2004 General Election, where with the same number of days remaining before the election, 740,000 requests had been made. The total vote by mail ballots cast in that election was 701,693 representing approximately 22 percent of the total votes cast, Logan said.

Further information, regarding early voting and vote by mail services, can be obtained by going online at
www.lavote.net or by calling the RR/CC at (800) 815-2666.

Department Of Children And Family Services Looking For New Hires

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) will host a Job Fair on Saturday, October 25, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at its Torrance Office, 2325 Park Del Amo Street. The Job Fair is open to the public. Anyone committed to changing the lives of children by working as a Children’s Social Worker or in a supportive clerical role is invited to attend.

DCFS offers multiple positions in a variety of fields including clerical, nursing and social work. A Children’s Social Worker II can earn as much as $66,068 annually and Children’s Social Workers Trainees can earn up to $41,140 annually. Additionally, the County of Los Angeles offers an excellent benefits package, retirement plan and 10 paid holidays per year. At the Job Fair, free educational workshops will touch on topics such as the Education and Licensure Program and A Day in the Life of a Social Worker.

DCFS uses leading-edge social work practices that are family-strength based. The department’s three key goals of increased permanency, increased safety for children and reduced reliance on foster care are aimed at improving the lives of children and families in both the Santa Clarita area and greater Los Angeles County.

Applications and information regarding minimum requirements for available positions can be found online at www.lacdcfs.org in the careers link, by calling the DCFS Job Hotline at (213) 351-6417 or by visiting DCFS Headquarters at 425 Shatto Place, Room 105, in Los Angeles. Applications and information will also be available at the Job Fair, along with technical assistance in completing the necessary forms.

Education Overhaul Approved For County Juvenile Justice System

Supervisor Don Knabe’s proposed overhaul of educational opportunities in Los Angeles County’s juvenile camps and halls was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors today. The reforms were proposed by Supervisor Knabe in June 2007 after a study revealed students were seriously underserved by the schools designed to teach children incarcerated in the Los Angeles County juvenile justice system.

Among the reforms will be the creation of charter schools in the probation system. The reforms will also customize educational opportunities based on the individual needs of the student, including a vocational education path, a college-bound path, and a GED completion path, among others. Additionally, the reforms will now tie education in the camps and halls with education in school districts across the County so that students leaving the juvenile justice system will have better continuity and consistency when they return to regular schools.

The implications of today’s actions matter to every resident of our County because of the long-term goals of these reforms, said Supervisor Knabe. By improving access to educational opportunities in the juvenile justice system today these kids are less likely to commit future crimes tomorrow and end up in and out of our justice system throughout their life.

According to the 2007 report by the Children’s Council of Los Angeles County, education is the area most in need of improvement in the juvenile justice system.

Among the report’s findings:

– In 2004, 74 percent of juvenile justice students did not pass the California High School Exit Examination.

– 20 percent of all Probation students require special education programs; double that of the general school population.

– School attendance records for Nidorf Juvenile Hall reveal that on one particular day in April 2007, 14% of students in the hall were not enrolled in the on-site school and only 78% of the enrolled students attended that day.

– Students in some high-risk units received little more than one hour of educational instruction a day.

We have nearly 3,000 children enrolled in our probation schools and we have an obligation to provide each and everyone one of them with access to educational opportunities, said Supervisor Knabe. If we want to keep these kids from returning to the probation system or from ending up in County jails later in life, then access to quality schooling must be a critical component of how we are serving children in our camps and halls.

Supervisors Fund Knabe Plan To Slow Jail Early Release Program

Nearly $3 million is being spent on electronic monitoring devices so more nonviolent offenders can serve home detention and help ease crowding in Los Angeles County jails. The plan was born out of a proposal made by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe that ultimately led to a change in State law last year.

The idea for increased use of electronic monitoring was presented by Supervisor Knabe to the Board of Supervisors in July 2006. After the Board approved making Knabe’s plan a legislative priority, an author for the bill was successfully sought in State Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles). Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill in September 2007.

Under the old state law, many convicted criminals were allowed to choose between a jail sentence and electronic monitoring. Many criminals chose jail time instead of the electronic monitoring option because they knew that under the current statistics of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Early Release Program, if they enter the County jail system, they will likely only serve 10-percent of the time they were actually sentenced with, as opposed to serving 100-percent of their sentence on electronic monitoring.

Supervisor Knabe’s proposal asked the Governor and legislators to revise the State law to ensure that the decision between electronic monitoring and a jail term is left to the law enforcement community and not in the hands of lawbreakers. Under the new law, electronic monitoring will become mandatory for certain non-violent offenders, and as a result, it will free up much-needed beds in County jails for the very worst offenders, who need to remain behind bars for more than just a fraction of their sentences.

If a criminal receives a 30-day sentence, then why would they agree to be electronically monitored that entire time if they know the loopholes of early release mean a 30-day sentence translates into only a few days behind bars, said Supervisor Knabe. The choice between the two should not be an option in the hands of convicted criminals. Criminals should not get to choose their punishment simply because one takes less time to complete. Length of punishment belongs in the hands of our judges and when a judge imposes a sentence, that sentence needs to stick.

Ultimately, we need additional jail beds to ensure that every criminal serves every day he is sentenced to, but until that day comes, this new funding will ensure that the very worst offenders will remain behind bars and that the electronic monitoring option will be used only for non violent criminals.

Up to 2,000 inmates in the Los Angeles County jail system will be placed into electronic monitoring through the use of ankle bracelets. Currently only 300-400 offenders serve their time on electronic monitoring.

Taggers To Pay For Graffiti Damage Under New Plan

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unveiled a plan today to fine graffiti taggers for the damage they cause. The Board will take a final vote on the ordinance next week. If approved, it would take effect in 30 days.

Supervisor Gloria Molina and Supervisor Don Knabe introduced a motion with the idea last year ago after a Pico Rivera grandmother was killed on August 10, 2007, when she tried to stop a graffiti vandal from defacing a wall near her home.

The average taxpayer cost to catch a tagger is $665, and the average cost of removing or painting over graffiti is $552 per incident. Los Angeles County spends over $30 million per year in graffiti cleanup costs in the unincorporated areas.

Graffiti is a huge problem in many of our neighborhoods and communities, and it is reducing the quality of life, property values, business growth and development in these areas, said Supervisor Knabe. It is my hope that this new plan teaches young offenders about accountability, responsibility, and about the consequences of their actions.

Reward Payout Authorized In Beating Of Rowland Unified School District Police Officer

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today approved payout of two $5,000 rewards for information that led to the conviction of four juveniles responsible for the beating of a Rowland Unified School District Police Officer at Jellick Elementary School in Rowland Heights.

On August 15, 2006, the 62-year-old officer was investigating a burglary at Jellick Elementary when he was beaten with an aluminum baseball bat, receiving injuries to his head and eye. On August 22, 2006, Supervisors Gloria Molina and Don Knabe called for a $10,000 reward for information in the case. The next day, two tipsters contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Walnut Station, where they viewed video evidence. The tipsters were able to identify two subjects, who were students at Alvarado Intermediate School at the time. Because two separate tipsters aided in the investigation, the County has authorized payout of the $10,000 reward in the form of two separate amounts of $5,000 each. The two individuals who will receive the reward will remain anonymous.

Armed with information provided by the tipsters, investigators were able to ultimately arrest four juveniles responsible for the assault on the officer. Three of the juveniles were convicted of burglary and vandalism and sentenced to probation. The fourth juvenile was sentenced to eight years in custody.

Avalon Lifeguard and Paramedic

Station
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a $5.423 million project to construct a state-of-the-art lifeguard and paramedic headquarters building in the City of Avalon on Catalina Island. Of the $5.423 million total budget, $3.924 million was awarded to AMG Associates, Inc., for the construction contract, while the remaining funds will be used for project management costs, furnishing and equipping the building, and a public art project for the exterior of the building.

The proposed project is a two-story, 7,005 square foot lifeguard/paramedic station, which consists of a two-bay apparatus area for housing a paramedic truck, a utility vehicle and watercraft trailers; an office with storage rooms; and a reception area with a public restroom.

The Avalon Lifeguard facility will also have one unique feature among all of the County’s similar buildings. This will be the first to include dormitory space for workers, which will consist of a living room, kitchen, dining room and bedroom space for up to eight personnel. County lifeguards on Catalina Island are on-call for 24-hour periods, meaning that anyone stationed in Avalon must secure housing in the City’s limited and expensive housing market. With the new building, lifeguards will be able to complete their shifts without having to acquire housing off-site.

The new building will be constructed on a parcel of land adjacent to City Hall that was donated to the County by the City of Avalon. Construction is scheduled to be completed by summer 2009.

First Two Female Members Of County’s Most Wanted List Brought To Justice

The first two female members of the Los Angeles County Most Wanted List of child support evaders have been sentenced and arrested respectively this month, Supervisor Don Knabe announced recently.

Vickie Irene Nass, the first woman to find a place on the Most Wanted List, made an appearance in Superior Court on April 24. Ms. Nass, who owed $66,127 to her two sons, had been sought on a warrant issued in August 2007, for failing to obey the terms of court-ordered probation. Superior Court Commissioner John Green made a formal finding that Ms. Nass was in violation of her probation terms. He sentenced her to 180 days in the county jail, but stayed imposition of that sentence on the following terms: that she make a payment of $5,000 on or before June 19 and that thereafter she commence making payments of $499 per month beginning July 1. She will face incarceration if she fails to make the payments as ordered.

Antoniette Duran, one of the latest additions to the Most Wanted List, was arrested at her home in Pomona on April 10. Ms. Duran, who owed $16,236 to her minor son and daughter, was arrested on a warrant issued when she failed to appear for a probation violation hearing. She was on probation for failing to comply with agreed-upon terms of supporting her children. On two occasions, she made promises to appear and clear the warrant and both times she failed to do so. When she failed to appear as directed, a new warrant was issued for her arrest, with bail set at $45,000.

The Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department maintains the Most Wanted Delinquent Parent List. It was developed as a result of an appropriation by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on the initiative of County Supervisor Don Knabe. The appropriation provides funding that permits the Child Support Services Department to pay for the services of District Attorney Investigators to locate and arrest parents wanted on warrants for failure to pay court ordered support. Since the first arrests in December 2007, more than 275 parents with outstanding warrants have been arrested, cited, or surrendered in court after contact by District Attorney Investigators.