Bum Alarm

THE BUM ALARM by Mike Colonna & ChatGPT FADE IN: EXT. LONG BEACH — SEVENTH & PCH — DAY Heat halos vibrate off asphalt. TRAFFIC chokes the intersection. A MILK CRATE. A cardboard sign: ARMY VET — ANYTHING HELPS. BOB PURNELL (60s), lean, sun-cut, eyes like rangefinders, posts up beneath a lamppost. He scans lanes the way a sniper scans tree lines. A BLACK DODGE CHARGER weaves, bass THUNDERING. The windows rattle. In the adjacent lane: a SILVER SEDAN, pristine, ribbon on the rearview. JOSEPH PARKIN (58), Marine posture, suit, boutonniere, white knuckles on the wheel. ON BOB — head tilts, listening.

BOB (V.O.) Hear the jungle before you see it. Always. The light turns RED. The Charger skids. TIRES SCREAM. JAMES GONZALES (24) explodes out, ink up his neck, a TIRE IRON in hand. INTERSECTION — CONTINUOUS Gonzales SLAMS the sedan hood — BOOM. PARKIN steps out, palms raised.

PARKIN Take it easy, son— WHACK! The tire iron arcs. Parkin STAGGERS. WHACK-WHACK! Ugly, wet impacts. Screams. A BABY cries. A PHONE lifts, filming. BOB half-steps forward... stops. He locks on the plate. INSERT — LICENSE PLATE: “7XR-L92” (or similar) Bob MOUTHS the plate, rhythm like a radio check. WHACK! Parkin crumples. Gonzales breathes hard, eyes VACANT. He jumps back into the Charger. PEELS OUT. A crown STICKER flashes on the rear glass. ROAR of ENGINE fading EAST. Bob’s jaw sets.

BOB (semi-salute at Parkin) Hold fast. SIRENS swell. EXT. INTERSECTION — MOMENTS LATER OFFICER #1 checks Parkin’s pulse — grim. OFFICER #2 pushes the crowd. BOB I got the plate! OFFICER #2 Back up, sir— BOB (precise, firm, calls it out) Seven. X-Ray. Romeo. Lincoln. Niner. Two. The officer FREEZES, keys mic.

OFFICER #2 (INTO RADIO) Broadcast: 7XR-L92, black Dodge Charger, eastbound Seventh. EXT. INTERSECTION — LATER Crime scene tape. YELLOW. Humming. DETECTIVE RUIZ (40s), suit defeating the heat, studies Bob. RUIZ You read it or you kept it? BOB Both. RUIZ You drinking? BOB Not yet. Ruiz almost smirks. Noted. RUIZ Anything else? Bob’s gaze tracks the lane where the Charger fled.

BOB Passenger. Small shape. Long hair. And a sticker — white crown. Back glass. Driver wore a silver lion ring. Index finger. Ruiz clocks every word. RUIZ You just gave me a second camera angle. He tears a card, presses it into Bob’s hand. RUIZ (CONT'D) You sleep where? BOB Under PCH. Sea turtle mural. RUIZ Stay close, Mr. Purnell.

EXT. UNDER PCH — NIGHT TENTS, pallet fires. The hum of freeway like distant rotors. WALT PURNELL (50s) — Bob’s younger brother, charming wreck — drops onto the curb, new backpack still wearing its SPIDER SECURITY TAG. WALT Heard you went siren on ‘em. Bum Alarm, baby. Bob stares at the darkness. BOB A man died. Walt’s grin falters. He nudges Bob’s shoulder. WALT Got a line on a door gig. A guy with a big watch needs statues. Two hours. Cash, sandwich. You and me. Bob listens past Walt. Beyond the freeway hum... a SCOOTER with a rattly chain passes above. BOB Chain’s off pitch. WALT That a yes? Bob doesn’t answer. EXT. BOB’S CORNER — DAY Ruiz arrives with COFFEE. Hands it over. RUIZ We popped your plate. James Gonzales. Debt to a local set. Word is, he’s been doing hits dressed as “rage.” There’s a name behind him — TÍO. We’ve never seen his face clean. Bob sips, watching traffic. BOB You want ears. RUIZ And a mouth no one notices. You in? A beat. A light turns green, the whole block exhales. BOB I’m in. Ruiz slides over a beater flip phone. RUIZ One number. Me. You feel heat, hang up. I’ll hear it anyway.

EXT. LONG BEACH — VARIOUS — LISTENING MONTAGE — Bob on his crate. CROWN STICKERS on beaters glide by. — A kid in a DODGERS CAP whistles the same bar every day. — A HONDA CIVIC with a blown speaker taps 3-2 bass knocks at the donut shop. — A HAND with a LION RING raps change: ting-ting-ting... pause... ting. — Bob’s thumb brushes the PHONE. He DIALS. Short intel drops. Ruiz’s WALL fills with map pins and strings. EXT. UNDER PCH — NIGHT Walt bounces on his heels, wired. WALT Door gig’s tonight. Warehouse by the river. Dude called “Tío.” You coming or what? Bob’s eyes narrow. He turns away, dials. BOB (INTO PHONE) Warehouse. River. “Tío.” Tonight. RUIZ (V.O., FILTERED) Be a witness and live. Bob pockets the phone. Faces Walt. BOB I’m coming.

EXT. RIVER WAREHOUSE ROW — NIGHT A slit of moon. Sodium lights buzz. A corrugated door half-open like a jaw. Inside: STRING LIGHTS sag. A dead forklift. Spray-painted CROWN, six feet tall. Men haul UNMARKED BOXES. A boy flips a KNIFE open-shut-open, CLICK-CLACK metronome. TÍO (50s?) emerges from shadow. Tie too formal, watch too heavy, face forgettable by design. On his INDEX: LION RING. He measures Bob and Walt. TÍO You stand. You see. You say if anything wrong comes. (to Walt) Face the street. (to Bob) Face me. Bob’s eyes catalog exits, head height, tool racks, footfalls. Vietnam muscle memory lights up. The BLACK CHARGER slides in. Engine idles low, like a growl swallowed. GONZALES climbs out. The PASSENGER door eases — a GIRL (19), bruised eye, hair curtaining shame. TÍO Where you been? GONZALES Here. TÍO You made music. Now uniforms know my song. Gonzales swallows. The girl stares at the floor. TÍO (CONT'D) (to the girl) Go home. Not his. Yours. She slips past Bob. For a breath, their eyes meet. She’s counting exits too. TÍO (CONT'D) (to Gonzales) You will fix what you broke. By dawn.

Gonzales nods like a boy promised detention. He starts to go, cranks the stereo reflexively — BASS SWELLS — catches Tío’s look, kills it. The Charger ghosts out. Tío turns to Bob and Walt. Soft voice, harder message. TÍO (CONT'D) Come. INT. WAREHOUSE OFFICE — NIGHT Peeling calendar of a beach. Metal desk scarred with cigarette burns. Tío sits. Bob remains standing. TÍO If uniforms come because of you, you disappear. No song. Understand? BOB I hear you. Tío’s eyes flick to Walt — the leverage. Back to Bob — the fulcrum. TÍO Good listener. He gestures — dismissed.

EXT. WAREHOUSE — DAWN First birds. River breath. Walt trembles as adrenaline drains. WALT We can’t— BOB We can. We will. Bob dials. Low, quick: BOB (INTO PHONE) Cars. Boxes. Crown. Lion. Gonzales out hunting witnesses by dawn. Office southwest corner. Loader bay chained. Third window painted shut. RUIZ (V.O., FILTERED) Copy. Sit tight. Don’t be a hero. Bob kills the call. Looks at Walt. BOB Be alive. EXT. SEVENTH & PCH — PRE-DAWN Gonzales’ Charger creeps along the curb — predatory. The corner is empty. He frowns. Floors it. INT. GONZALES’ CHARGER — MOVING — DAWN Phone BUZZ. Unknown text: a CROWN EMOJI + a CLOCK. He grimaces, U-TURNS. EXT. WAREHOUSE ROW — NIGHT LATER. Unmarked units black out. BOOTS hit gravel. A RAM pops the office door — CRACK! LAPD SWAT floods in. FLASH-BANG — BANG—WHUMP! Light devours darkness. Men cough, hands up. RUIZ threads through chaos, eyes on targets. RUIZ Hands! Hands! Don’t be brave! A RUNNER bolts down an aisle. Ruiz plants, BODY-SHOTS him into a crate — CRASH! Another suspect reaches for a drawer — TASER POP. Down. Office safe yawns open — CASH, LEDGERS, a PHONE with contacts labeled in emojis only. RUIZ (CONT'D) Bag it. All of it. No Tío.

EXT. ALLEY — SAME A SHADOW — Tío — slips into a sedan and dissolves into city glow. EXT. UNDER PCH — DAWN Bob and Walt wait under concrete ribs. Sirens far away now, like thunder on a different shore. WALT We good? BOB We’re breathing. Walt pulls out a CARBURETOR he’s been tinkering with, proud boy again. WALT Shop on Anaheim’ll teach if you show up twice in a row. Boss says I’m good with jets. Bob eyes the part, its fluted precision. Nods. BOB Make it sing. EXT. SEVENTH & PCH — MORNING The corner wakes: coffee steam, bus brakes, dog walkers. A WOMAN in a green cardigan hands Bob a BAG and a NOTE. WOMAN He taught my son to parallel park. Thank you for hearing him. She goes. Bob opens the bag — sandwich. The note in a child’s scrawl: Thank you for hearing my grandpa. He tucks it next to the flip phone. The talisman beats the tech. Ruiz appears, bone-tired, jacket off.

RUIZ Gonzales is in a box. He sang some, choked more. We crippled Tío’s arm, not the body. But the boys running errands? They’re gonna need jobs that don’t pay in funerals. He studies Bob — really sees him. RUIZ (CONT'D) I can get you a bed. Counselor’s good. No pressure. BOB Sheets are loud. Ruiz smirks, tips an invisible cap. RUIZ You ever want quieter loud, call me. He moves on. EXT. SEVENTH & PCH — LATER Midday shimmer. A BUS idles. A KID leans out a window. KID Bum Alarm! Bob SALUTES. The bus driver HONKS twice, friendly. A PICKUP with a dust-dulled CROWN STICKER rolls by. Bob clocks it, files it, lets it go.

BOB (V.O.) Not every crown wears a king. A FATHER and SON in tuxes glide through the green, arguing cufflinks. The radio hums a wedding standard. No shouts. No iron. Bob exhales. The corner breathes with him. EXT. SHORELINE — SUNSET Bob and Walt stand ankle-deep. The Pacific chews orange into silver. WALT They’re naming that corner after Parkin. Little sign. Still. BOB Good. WALT You okay? Bob watches a wave break, rebuild, return. BOB Not where I was. Walt nods, kicks surf. For once, they let the silence be a bridge, not a wall.

EXT. LONG BEACH — NIGHT City lights blink awake. Somewhere: a door closes on a warehouse. Somewhere else: a badge clicks onto a hook. The freeway hum is almost a lullaby. Back at the corner, Bob settles in. He adjusts the crate, squares the sign, sets his feet like a sentry. He listens. — A SCOOTER chain now true. — A HONDA’s 3-2 bass knocks shift to 2-2 — new code, new day. — Somewhere a PHONE goes up to film, then down to help. Bob’s eyes lift to the light. BOB (V.O.) Take the first thing. Hear it. Say it. Live. FADE OUT. TITLE CARD: THE BUM ALARM OVER BLACK: SUPER: “In memory of Joseph Parkin — Marine, father, neighbor.” CUT TO BLACK. THE END

“The Bum Alarm” Logline: A former Army Vietnam Veteran now homeless help police solve a petty crime that accelerates into a murder for hire investigation. A homeless man panhandling on a busy intersection in Long Beach, California helped police solve the fatal beating by a group of gangbangers over a road rage incident. Synopsis: Bob Purnell was a fixture on the corner of Seventh Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach. After his release from the Army after two stints in Viet Nam, Bob’s mental condition was questionable. His brother, also homeless, stood Bob Purnell, a homeless man, watched James Gonzales beat 58 year old retired Marine Joseph Parkin to death.

Parkin a long time Long Beach resident tried to fight back but Gonzales used a blunt instrument to beat Parking to death. Gonzales got back in his car and sped off. Purnell memorized the assailants license plate and gave the tag number to police when they arrived at the scene. Police are searching for James Gonzales 24, for first-degree murder. The road rage that day started when Parkin, who lives in East Long Beach, was traveling to his son's wedding and pulled into a speeding car driven by Gonzales going east on Seventh street past Recreation Park Golf Course. Purnell could hear loud rap music coming from Gonzales car the music got his attention. He witnessed the entire incident from his corner location. “The Bum Alarm” “The Homeless Detective” Logline: A former Army Vietnam Veteran now homeless help police solve a petty crime that accelerates into a murder for hire investigation. A homeless man panhandling on a busy intersection in Long Beach, California helped police solve the fatal beating by a group of gangbangers over a road rage incident. Synopsis: Bob Purnell was a fixture on the corner of Seventh Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach. After is release from the Army after two stints in Viet Nam, Bob’s mental condition was questionable. His brother, also homeless, stood

FADE IN: EXT: LONG BEACH-MID MORNING-SEVENTH ST. AND BELLFLOWER Bob Purnell is sitting at the Jack-n-The Box across from his signature spot on Seventh and Bob Purnell, a homeless man watched James Gonzales beat 58 year old retired Marine Joseph Parkin to death. Parkin a long time Long Beach resident tried to fight back but Gonzales used a blunt instrument to beat Parking to death. Gonzales got back in his car and sped off with three other passengers. Purnell memorized the assailants license plate and gave the tag number to police when they arrived at the scene. Police are searching for James Gonzales 24, for first-degree murder.

The road rage that day started when Parkin, who lives in East Long Beach, was traveling to his son's wedding and pulled into a speeding car driven by Gonzales going east on Seventh street past Recreation Park Golf Course. Purnell could hear loud rap music was coming from the Gonzales car the music got his attention. He witnessed the entire incident from his corner location. Tevin Thompson, one of the other teens in the car, testified that Dunn appeared "a bit upset" and immediately addressed them. Thompson, who was 17 at the time and sitting in the front passenger seat, testified that Dunn said, "Turn the music down. I can't hear myself think." Thompson testified that he turned down the music, but that Davis, who was sitting in the back, became angry and told him to turn the volume back up. He testified that Davis and Dunn got into a shouting match, with Davis yelling profanities at Dunn.

Thompson said he heard Dunn say to Davis, "Are you talking to me?" and then he heard gunshots. "He aimed it towards Jordan's door, he started to fire," Thompson said, adding that the man fired more than once. The driver threw the car in reverse to get away, but Thompson said he kept hearing shots as they drove away. Thompson said he never heard Davis or anyone else in the SUV threaten Dunn. Prosecutors have said Dunn fired 10 times into the SUV.

Dunn's attorneys say he feared for his life and fired the shots in an instant. The homeless man, Atkins, said he saw Dunn fire the shots into the SUV and then get into a "police crouch" and continue firing as the SUV sped away. Defense attorneys attacked Atkins as a convicted felon, saying he testified earlier that Dunn was leaning out of the car firing but now says he crouched outside the vehicle. Atkins is currently serving a seven-year term in prison for robbery. A group of homeless people helped solve the murder of one of their own, according to Long Beach Police. Before 3am Friday, 68-year-old Charles Taylor was beaten to death. It appeared he had been preparing to go to sleep on a pallet outside a Long Beach charity consignment store.

On the other side of the building, a larger group of homeless people were awakened by a man they didn't know. Police have arrested 26-year-old Ardie Scott Powell in connection to the death. "He asked us if we wanted to see a dead body," said Brandon Campbell. "And woke us out of our sleep to tell us this. I didn't expect to see no dead body, but it was laying there."

Homeless bicyclist suspected in Montrose murder Man found in cold blood in Montrose Chapman had been sleeping by himself, near the street on Graustark and was vulnerable to an assailant. Police were somehow called by the homeless, one of them even trying to stall the suspect until officer's arrived. "Our witness's father is a police officer so she goes into her 'my dad's a cop' mode and starts to question this guy," said homicide detective Phil Waters. "He's very defensive and won't tell us his name." The suspect rode away on his bike, with another member of the homeless group running behind. He tracked him to a nearby convenience store on Pacific avenue. "For people to step up and take responsibility for what they saw and what they can contribute to this investigation, it was awesome," said Waters. For Andrew Nolan, it's a reminder of the inherent risk of living on the streets. "What was behind that," he asked. "That we'll never know but at least we know we're a little bit safer now that he's not out here." Powell is expected to be charged with murder. Detectives seek help solving murder of homeless man attacked while sleeping

HOUSTON Charles Taylor was assaulted between 3 and 6:40am on May 7 at Brae Burn Glen Park, located at 9510 S. Gessner, according to Crime Stoppers. Taylor, a homeless man, was likely sleeping in a sleeping bag when someone struck him in the head with an unknown object. Taylor was transported to an area hospital, where he underwent brain surgery, but died on Wednesday. Detectives still have no suspects or witnesses to the attack. Older Couple turn right off of Park Avenue onto Pacific Coast Highway, south toward seventh street. As they turn a speeding car with 4 gangbangers speed down Pacific Coast Highway from Ximeno and almost hit the elderly couple. Their blaring music can be heard while they speed along side the older couple, flashing gang signals, cursing and weaving in front of the seniors. They arrive at the stop light on Pacific Coast Highway, Seventh, Bellflower.

ELIAS GANGBANGER Hey old man, you cut me off, you almost killed me. That's when I heard a voice with a thick European accent - "Hey we don't have to fight you know" me: "but then why'd you kill my buddy" him: "eh...I mean we still don't have to fight?" me: (thinking for a minute) "...you still killed my buddy. Fuck it let's fight" after about a solid minute while both of us are holding our breath he says him: "Hey! come fight!" me: "Fuck you! come to me!"

A traffic stop turned into the arrests of three gang members by deputies with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Wasco substation. On Saturday, deputies said they stopped a vehicle around 10:42 p.m. for traffic enforcement purposes near the intersection of Poso Drive and F Street. During the stop, deputies said the driver, who was identified as Ramon Cadena, 25, of Wasco, was on parole and did not have a valid driver’s license.WASCO, Calif. (KGET) — A traffic stop turned into the arrests of three gang members by deputies with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Wasco substation.

On Saturday, deputies said they stopped a vehicle around 10:42 p.m. for traffic enforcement purposes near the intersection of Poso Drive and F Street. During the stop, deputies said the driver, who was identified as Ramon Cadena, 25, of Wasco, was on parole and did not have a valid driver’s license. Deputies searched Cadena’s vehicle and said they found live ammunition. Deputies said the passengers in the vehicle were identified as Alfonso Trujillo, 28 from Shafter, and Joel Arrazate, 23, from Wasco. Deputies said Trujillo was on Post Release Community Supervision and Arrazate was on parole. They yell at the older driver, the front passenger gets out of his vehicle and tries to open the old mans door. The old man resists, the gangbanger pulls him out and begins beating and kicking him.

Up Next - Capital Jewish Museum reopens after deadly shooting -00:15 Deputies searched Cadena’s vehicle and said they found live ammunition. Deputies said the passengers in the vehicle were identified as Alfonso Trujillo, 28 from Shafter, and Joel Arrazate, 23, from Wasco. Deputies said Trujillo was on Post Release Community Supervision and Arrazate was on parole. All three occupants were then arrested. Deputies said a parole search of Cadena’s house in the 800 block of E Street was conducted during which they said they found a .22 caliber handgun, a .45 caliber handgun, miscellaneous live ammunition, about 950 grams of marijuana, about 8 grams of methamphetamine, evidence indicating narcotics sales, $2,647.00 in cash and a ballistic vest.

Cadena was then arrested for several charges including possession of body armor by a felon, maintaining a residence for the purpose of narcotics sales, possession of a controlled substance for sales, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, possession of a loaded firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance and participation in a criminal street gang. Trujillo and Arrazate were arrested for possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, participation in a criminal street gang and conspiracy to commit a crime. All suspects were booked into the Kern County Jail. Anyone with information regarding either of these investigations (2022-00050281) is asked to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s Office at (661) 861-3110 or Secret Witness at (661) 322-4040.

Up Next - Capital Jewish Museum reopens after deadly shooting -00:15 Deputies searched Cadena’s vehicle and said they found live ammunition. Deputies said the passengers in the vehicle were identified as Alfonso Trujillo, 28 from Shafter, and Joel Arrazate, 23, from Wasco. Deputies said Trujillo was on Post Release Community Supervision and Arrazate was on parole. All three occupants were then arrested.​ Deputies said a parole search of Cadena’s house in the 800 block of E Street was conducted during which they said they found a .22 caliber handgun, a .45 caliber handgun, miscellaneous live ammunition, about 950 grams of marijuana, about 8 grams of methamphetamine, evidence indicating narcotics sales, $2,647.00 in cash and a ballistic vest.

Cadena was then arrested for several charges including possession of body armor by a felon, maintaining a residence for the purpose of narcotics sales, possession of a controlled substance for sales, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, possession of a loaded firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance and participation in a criminal street gang. Trujillo and Arrazate were arrested for possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, participation in a criminal street gang and conspiracy to commit a crime.​ All suspects were booked into the Kern County Jail.

Since March 1, a total of 11 bodies have been found in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, fueling fears online that there could be a serial killer in the area. So far, law enforcement officials in New England have denied the presence of a serial killer.Detectives found the body of Paige Fannon, 35, in the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Connecticut, in early March.NEW ENGLAND SERIAL KILLER FEARS: MASSACHUSETTS INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFY BODY PULLED FROM RIVERNorwalk police also identified the remains of 35-year-old Paige Fannon of West Islip, New York, on March 6. Her remains were found in the swiftly moving Norwalk River after heavy rainfall the night before. (iStock)The body of Meggan Meridith, 45, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was found last Tuesday and identified earlier this week.On March 6, a human skull was discovered in a wooded area off of Route 3 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Authorities have not released any further details.When speaking to reporters, Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni downplayed concerns that there might be a serial killer.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X"While online conversations around these incidents continue to grow, we urge the public to be mindful of the role that social media can play in spreading fear or misinformation," Gulluni said. "Unverified claims can compromise active investigations and contribute to a sense of chaos that does not reflect the full picture." Former Washington, D.C., homicide detective Ted Williams told Fox News Digital he believes detectives in New England are not ruling anything out."The investigators who are conducting these investigations are not ruling out anything whatsoever at this stage of the investigation," Williams said. "They are primarily at the preliminary stages of gathering evidence at each one of these death scenes to try to establish a nexus between those scenes and a single individual or individuals.

"NEW ENGLAND SERIAL KILLER FEARS: 10 BODIES NOW FOUND IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHSA map showing the locations of where bodies in the New England area have been found. (Fox News)"I don't think at this stage they're waving off a serial killer," Williams said.SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTERWilliams added that he believes authorities are trying to "connect the dots, if the dots connect" between the locations where the individuals were found."Some of these deaths may very well be of not a crime situation. They're trying to make a connection. And the information that they're providing the public is information that they believe the public more or less may need," Williams said.Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. (Getty Images)Fox News contributor and forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden told Fox News Digital, however, that he does not see a pattern between the deaths or where the body was found.

GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB"There really is no quite distinct, clear pattern of all of this," Baden said. Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.Adam Sabes is a writer for Fo x News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.New England authorities are not "ruling out anything" after 11 bodies were found in the region since the beginning of March, a former homicide detective said.Since March 1, a total of 11 bodies have been found in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, fueling fears online that there could be a serial killer in the area. So far, law enforcement officials in New England have denied the presence of a serial killer.Detectives found the body of Paige Fannon, 35, in the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Connecticut, in early March.

NEW ENGLAND SERIAL KILLER FEARS: MASSACHUSETTS INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFY BODY PULLED FROM RIVERNorwalk police also identified the remains of 35-year-old Paige Fannon of West Islip, New York, on March 6. Her remains were found in the swiftly moving Norwalk River after heavy rainfall the night before. (iStock)The body of Meggan Meridith, 45, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was found last Tuesday and ident ified earlier this week.On March 6, a human skull was discovered in a wooded area off of Route 3 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Authorities have not released any further details.When speaking to reporters, Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni downplayed concerns that there might be a serial killer.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X"While online conversations around these incidents continue to grow, we urge the public to be mindful of the role that social media can play in spreading fear or misinformation," Gulluni said. "Unverified claims can compromise active investigations and contribute to a sense of chaos that does not reflect the full picture." Former Washington, D.C., homicide detective Ted Williams told Fox News Digital he believes detectives in New England are not ruling anything out. "The investigators who are conducting these investigations are not ruling out anything whatsoever at this stage of the investigation," Williams said. "They are primarily at the preliminary stages of gathering ev idence at each one of these death scenes to try to establish a nexus between those scenes and a single individual or individuals.

"NEW ENGLAND SERIAL KILLER FEARS: 10 BODIES NOW FOUND IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHSA map showing the locations of where bodies in the New England area have been found. (Fox News)"I don't think at this stage they're waving off a serial killer," Williams said.SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTERWilliams added that he believes authorities are trying to "connect the dots, if the dots connect" between the locations where the individuals were found."Some of these deaths may very well be of not a crime situation. They're trying to make a connection. And the information that they're providing the public is information that they believe the public more or less may need," Williams said.Fox News contributor and forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden told Fox News Digital, however, that he does not see a pattern between the deaths or where the body was found. 

TRUE CRIME HUB "There really is no qu ite distinct, clear pattern of all of this," Baden said. New England authorities are not sharing "enough" information to quash speculation about a serial killer following the recent discoveries of 12 sets of human remains between March and April, according to former FBI instructor and certified police instructor Scott Duffey.The discoveries of 12 human remains in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts between March and April, with few details from police as to how the 12 victims died, have prompted rumors of a serial killer online. "From what I've seen or heard, first and foremost, not enough is being put out there, so we'll continue to create that serial killer idea," Duffey said of social media sleuths. "But at the same time, nothing has been said to make any type of connection [between victims]. And so that's what leads me down to … let law enforcement continue to answer the questions that they need to answer. But nothing that I have seen would arise to a serial killer [being] responsible for a ny or most of these people who have been found."NEW ENGLAND INVESTIGATORS NOT ‘RULING OUT ANYTHING’ AMID

SERIAL KILLER FEARS: FORMER HOMICIDE DETECTIVEThis map shows the locations where bodies have been found in New England. (Fox News)"I personally don't think there's anybody on the loose targeting women in New England … along the waterways and pathways," Duffey said. "But at the same time, you can disregard a serial killer out there, but don't let your guard down. … An individual who's looking to take advantage of a vulnerable situation will do so. … I always talk about the buddy system. If you're going out running, if you're going out somewhere dark, and you're going to be outside … walking, trailing, whatever, take somebody with you, have your phone and just be aware of your surroundings.""I personally don't think there's anybody on the loose targeting women in New England … along the waterways and pathways."— Scott Duffey, former FBI investigatorOf the 12 bodies found in the three states over the last two months, few developments have been made in the victims' respective cases, but police are investigating each of them. Last week, however, Connecticut police arrested a man named Donald Coffel in connection with the murder of a Groton woman, his roommate, Suzanne Wormser, who was found dismembered and stuffed into a suitcase in March. Police said a preliminary investigation revealed that he allegedly murdered her over an argument about crack cocaine.

NEW ENGLAND SERIAL KILLER FEARS: MASSACHUSETTS INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFY BODY PULLED FROM RIVERDonald Coffel appears virtually for an April 28, 2025, hearing from a hospital because he has cancer. (FOX 61)The Connecticut State Police recently told Fox News Digital that "there is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public at this time," regarding the deaths in Connecticut.Other remains have been located in New Haven, Norwalk, Groton, Killingly and Rocky Hill, C onnecticut; Foster and Pawtucket, Rhode Island; and Framingham, Plymouth, Springfield and two bodies in Taunton, Massachusetts. Some social media sleuths say these discoveries of human remains, particularly female remains, in the three neighboring states may indicate a serial killer, but police have made no indication of that being the case.

One set of human remains was found in Groton, Conn. (iStock)"It doesn't take a lot to create a conspiracy," Duffey said. "And when you have a vacuum of information … and then one person puts out, really, somewhat of a logical idea, and then it catches, and then people start following that idea even though there's no evidence to back it up. The serial killer rumors, which stem from a private Facebook group with nearly 70,000 users all searching for answers surrounding these recent morbid discoveries, also led Rhode Island police on a hunt for clandestine graves along Narragansett Beach last week after an anonymous member of the group made an eerie confession that prompted the Narragansett police to investigate.

NEW ENGLAND SERIAL KILLER FEARS: 10 BODIES NOW FOUND IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS"It looked like someone was trying to get a rise. I mean, he referenced Rick Rolling [in] the group, he referenced this being prose. One of his poems actually spelled out the word ‘hoax’ if you spelled out the first letter of the paragraphs," Det. Sgt. Brent Kuzman told Fox News Digital on Thursday. "So, it seemed pretty obvious that this was kind of a nothing thing, but I never want to be the person that didn't do something. His fellow officers agreed, and they expensed some resources for searches on April 21 and again on April 22 with cadaver dogs. The searches came up negative.Duffey believes police in the area who are called to respond to suspicious deaths will have their eye on the Facebook page and related social media discussions."The mystery is definitely a hook," he said. "And just like anybody else, I'm waiting for more and more answers to come out. But also, I think with what has come out, I feel strongly that it is just that – a set of circumstances that caught a social media whirlwind – and now law enforcement has to kind of temper it down with evidence and information coming from credible sources."

Blue Column

THE BLUE COLUMN SEASON 1 (2025) 714-747-5670 “4th Street” Written For Television by Mike Colonna Officer Larry Ambrose and His Partner Stan Chavez FOURTH STREET The corner of Cherry Avenue and Fourth Street, Long Beach police say. Long Beach police are investigating a shooting that left a man wounded Sunday night. Police said they learned of the gunfire when the victim arrived at a local hospital around 7 p.m. He told officers he was in a liquor store on the Northeast corner of Fourth a Atlantic Avenue and Market Street when he “heard noises and observed he was injured,” Long Beach police said in a statement posted on their website. “The man self-transported to the hospital.” Officers searched the area but couldn’t find evidence of a crime scene, police said. Police are still trying to gather information on any suspects or motives.

Fourth Street Shootout/written by Mike Colonna Exterior: Long Beach California-Late afternoon An Orange colored Toyota Supra drives East on Fourth Street to Obispo. A young teenage girl and her boyfriend stop at a liquor store. She drives up to the front, her boyfriend hops out, enters. The girl still has the motor running, the boyfriend rushes out of the store to a hail of AK-47 bullets. The Young girl ducks under the dash, her boyfriend does not make it to her car. A lone gunman pours bullets into the car, the young girl is protected inside the car. Police sirens are heard in the distance.

POLICE DISPATCH OPERATOR All units in the vicinity of fourth street and Ximeno gang activity. Shooter is on the lose. Police cars arrive on the scene. One lifeless body lays on the curb between the Liquor store entrance and a parked Toyota Supra. Officers enter the liquor store, others officers look inside the Toyota Supra and find a young girl sobbing, afraid for her life is hiding under the dashboard. OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE Are you OK? YOUNG FEMALE I think so. My dads gonna kill me he just gave me this car for my birthday. OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE Honey, don’t worry about that, I’m glad you’re not hurt in any way. YOUNG FEMALE How’s Bobby? OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE I’m afraid he didn’t make it.

YOUNG FEMALE Oh no. (Sobbing) he was just buying some groceries for his mother. Officers are checking out the Supra, dozens of hole around the hood, the windshield is shot up. Machine gun shells are laying across the intersection. OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE Come on honey, let’s get you out of here. The young girl holds on to the Officer's hand and eases out from under the dash and out of the Supra. The young girl focuses on two Paramedics wheeling a gurney with her friend covered with a sheet from head to toe. YOUNG FEMALE Oh my god, oh my god. They must have been waiting for him. OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE Who must have been waiting for him? The young girl starts sobbing. Officer Stan Chavez supervises the removal of the dead teenager and walks over to Officer Larry Ambrose. OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE Stan, I see camera’s above the entry of the store, check on that for me. Officer Chavez enters the Liquor store, begings interviewing the owner.

OFFICER STAN CHAVEZ I need a copy of your outdoor CCTV camera’s. LIQUOR STORE OWNER Good thing we checked on them last week, they should be working. I’ll get them for you. OFFICER STAN CHAVEZ Thanks. Liquor Store Owner returns, with the videos. LIQUOR STORE OWNER I know the kids' family, they come in here at least once a week. OFFICER STAN CHAVEZ Do you know his name, where he lives?

LIQUOR STORE OWNER Let me check, sometimes they pay by check, there address could be on one of the checks. The liquor store owner walks to the back room, returns with checks, and looks at the officer. Has a remorseful look on his face. OFFICER STAN CHAVEZ What’s wrong? LIQUOR STORE OWNER I told the dean boy’s mother her check bounced, she told me she was embarrassed, I told her to bring me the balance when she had it. The Police Coroner van turns up Fourth Street toward the City Morgue. OFFICER STAN CHAVEZ The kids address is on this check, they live just a few blocks from here. OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE The girl lives on the other side of town, let’s take her home, we’ll bring her in tomorrow. See what she knows. They arrive at the girl's home. Knock on the door.

GIRLS MOTHER Officers, what’s this all about. OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE Mam, we have your daughter, she’s been involved in what I believe may have been a gang shooting. GIRLS MOTHER Where is she? OFFICER STAN CHAVEZ She’s in the car, I’ll get her. The girl gets out of the police car and walks up the sidewalk to her home. GIRLS MOTHER Malissa, what’s this all about? Malissa, sobbing, MALISSA Mom, they shot Bobby.

GIRLS MOTHER What do you mean? OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE Mam, your daughter’s been involved in a drive-by shooting, her friend is dead. Please bring Malissa down to the station tomorrow, we have to talk to her. The girl's mother puts her arm around Malissa and walks her into the house. Officers Ambrose and Chavez drive off to interview the dead boy's family. They arrive and walk up to the dead boy's residence. The dead boy's father peers out of the window and sees the police car. Opens the front door. DEAN BOYS FATHER Officers, can I help you. Both Ambrose and Chavez approach the front door. OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE Yes sir, were here about you son. Can we come in? The father walks them into the living room.

DEAN BOYS FATHER What’s this all about? OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE We’re here to inform you that your son has been shot. He didn’t make it. His wife Alma is in the back room. DEAD BOYS FATHER Alma, come here quickly.. Alma rushes into the living room. OFFICER LARRY AMBROSE Mam, your boy was shot in what we think is some type of gang activity. DEAN BOYS MOTHER Where is he. The officers look at each other. OFFICER CHAVEZ He didn’t make it. Alma collapses. The dead boys father grabs her and moves her over to the couch. She’s slumped over sobbing. DEAN BOYS MOTHER My Bobby, My Bobby, please don’t tell me that he’s dead. Please don’t. Alma keeps sobbing. DEAD BOYS FATHER Officer how did it happen, where was he?

Ghost Platoon NOTT (CONT’D) (CONT’D) I understand there are extenuating circumstances surrounding your case. I’m sorry for your loss, but I have a verdict to grant the plaintiffs the amount you have approved through your attorney. A substantial amount I might add. I am also notifying you that your license will be suspended for a period of 10 years. At that time the court will consider reinstatement based on your behavior during this 10 year period. DaVinci loses his license at a Board of Inquiry. DaVinci is devastated but accepts his punishment. Lost without purpose, DaVinci spends hours walking dreaming what could have been. A few days later he walks by a Marine Corps recruiting office. And enters. Walks into a Marine Corps recruiting center and joins the Medical Corps. DaVinci is appointed an intelligence officer. One of the first people I ran into was Lt. General James Overman. He was the commander of the special strike unit that patrolled the roads from our camp to one of the hostile areas just miles from our base.

OVERMAN Glad to meet you, Lt. DaVinci. DAVINCI Yes sir. OVERMAN Welcome aboard. The General pulls DaVinci aside privately. OVERMAN (CONT’D) I’ve read about all of your dramas. You’ve got a great reputation. DAVINCI Thank you for the compliment General. DaVinci gets a quick handshake from everyone around the General. Weeks later, DaVinci was assigned a small platoon of six men to patrol a small town in Afghanistan near the base. These were regular daily missions. His convoy, while on patrol in Afghanistan, drives over a huge roadside bomb hurling his Humvee 20 feet in the air. DaVinci is the only living survivor. He receives a purple heart. DaVinci is discharged, looks for work in Los Angeles but is turned down at every interview. With no future, DaVinci becomes a resident of skid row.

A BRIGHT STARRY NIGHT - FULL MOON Billions of stars glitter behind a full moon. We pull back off the sky, and hear hustle and bustle under a street bridge in Los Angeles’s huge freight train yard. PANNING DOWN A lone soul, in a tent, nestled under a blanket beside 10 homeless people, snoring, arms folded behind his head with his eyes gazing into the sky. His thoughts are on times gone by. FLASHBACK INT. Beverly Hills - Operating room - Morning Three nurses prepare a female patient for plastic surgery. A face lift. Dr. DaVinci enters, seems disoriented, and has popped pills to give him more energy. A famous movie star lies on an operating table waiting for Dr. DaVinci to do his magic face lift. DaVinci Loses his license at a Board of Inquiry. Walks into an Army recruiting center and joins the Medical Corps as an intelligence officer. One of the first people he meets is Lt. General James Overman. Overman is the commander of the special strike unit that patrols the roads from camp to one of the hostile areas just miles from our base. OVERMAN Glad to meet you, Lt. DaVinci. DAVINCI Yes sir. OVERMAN Welcome aboard.

The General pulls DaVinci aside privately. OVERMAN (CONT’D) I’ve read about all of your dramas. You’ve got a great reputation. DAVINCI Thank you for the compliment General. All assignments were made with the General’s knowledge. It was called the human intelligence tent. DaVinci gets a quick handshake from everyone around the General. Weeks later, DaVinci was assigned a small platoon of six men to patrol a small town near the base. These were regular daily missions. His convoy, somewhere in Afghanistan, drives over a huge roadside bomb hurling his Humvee 20 feet in the air. DaVinci attends to the wounded and is awarded a medal of valor. DaVinci is discharged, looks for work in LA but is turned down at every interview. With no future, DaVinci becomes a resident of skid row.

EXT. SIXTH STREET BRIDGE - MIDNIGHT - LOS ANGELES DaVinci is awakened by an explosion on the bridge. Startled, he rushes to the top of the bridge and sees a police car that appears to have hit some type of land mine. A lone female officer is dazed and trapped in the front seat. DaVinci jerks open the passenger side and pulls the police officer out of the car. DaVinci turns on her vest radio and shouts for help. DAVINCI Officer Down. Does anyone have a copy? 911 OPERATOR Sir, please state your name and Where are you calling from? DAVINCI I’m here with a downed Police Officer, we’re at the 6th Street bridge, Hurry! 911 OPERATOR Sir, I need your name, please! DAVINCI You’re wasting time. Get someone down here ASAP.

The officer begins to regain consciousness. Police cars are racing toward the accident. Sirens blaring. The officer reaches into her shirt pocket and gives DaVinci her card. She pushes DaVinci away and signals him to leave before her fellow officers arrive. DaVinci moves quickly from the scene, as he does he notices the moon catch some type of glass shining from a six story building nearby. EXT. SIX STORY BUILDING - LATE NIGHT - LOS ANGELES DaVinci enters the slum looking building and rushes up to the fourth story where he detected the flash of moonlight off of glass. He quietly opens the door. A disposable cell phone, a cigarette butt are on the floor next to the window. The apartment is vacant. Two men are fast footing it down the back fire escape, they get to the alley, a black van moves quickly through the alley, stops, the side door opens. The two middle eastern looking men jump in and are immediately shot by the driver of the van.

INT: LOS ANGELES - HOSPITAL - MORNING DaVinci walks through the hallway and passes an armed police officer guarding the injured officer. DaVinci nodded in. Bruised but not in serious condition, the female officer gives DaVinci a slight smile of approval. EXT: SIX STORY BUILDING - MORNING - LOS ANGELES DaVinci walks the alley and picks up a spent shell. A nervous young homeless couple appears at the end of the alley. They have information. A license number, description of the van, a blurred description of the driver. DaVinci returns to his homeless encampment under the sixth street bridge. His confidant is Jack Ging, a75 year old ex Navy Seal during the Korean War. DaVinci shares his information with Jack.

EXT. PHONE BOOTH ABOVE BRIDGE - AFTERNOON. DaVinci dials the officer in the hospital bedroom. MONICA GOMEZ Who is this? DAVINCI Hope you are feeling better. I’m the guy who found you on the bridge. MONICA GOMEZ I owe you my life, you and the others that helped me, I can’t thank you enough. DAVINCI I would visit you but I’m sure you have a 24 hour guard at your door. MONICA GOMEZ When I’m out of here, we have to meet. DAVINCI Fine with me. Weeks later. WATCH CAPTAIN Officer Gomez, the Captain wants to have a few words with you. Officer Gomez enters the Captain’s office. CAPTAIN MORRIS Glad you’re feeling better, that was quite a death defying event you went through. The reason why you’re here? I want you to head a task force to infiltrate two East L.A. (MORE) CAPTAIN MORRIS (CONT’D) Drug gangs. It won’t be easy but I will supply you with all the tools you need. Interested? MONICA GOMEZ I’m in, Captain. Officer Gomez visits the Sixth Street Bridge location where she was rescued by DaVinci. She walks to the railing, looks down, sees a homeless encampment. Walk down to the encampment and observe more than 10 homeless men and women laying back on pillows and beach chairs. One of the tents seems off the beaten path, as she walks to the enclosure, a homeless man in his mid 30’s exits. MONICA GOMEZ (CONT’D) Maybe you could help me. I’m looking for a man who rescued me about one month ago after an accident above this bridge.

DAVINCI I guess you’re looking for me. MONICA GOMEZ Well then, we have a lot to talk about. Let’s meet tomorrow at the Echo Park Avenue Concession area. Need a ride? DAVINCI No, I’ll see you there at 2pm. MONICA GOMEZ (2PM IT IS.) EXT: AERIAL OF ECHO PARK, AFTERNOON 2PM Aerial of Echo Park lagoon, small concession canoe’s with families, couples enjoying paddling around the small lake. Officer Gomez dressed in civilian clothes, dolled up waiting for DaVinci sitting on a park bench overlooking the water. A mid-twenties male is sitting on a chair singing songs working for tips nearby. DaVinci approaches Gomez and sits next to her on the bench. MONICA GOMEZ Well, Well, we finally met face to face. DAVINCI My pleasure, officer. Officer Gomez. MONICA GOMEZ My friends call me Monica. DAVINCI Glad to meet you Officer Gomez, again, under different circumstances. MONICA GOMEZ I guess you could say that. Actually you saved my life. How did you get there so fast? DAVINCI The explosion woke me out of a dead sleep, good thing I was close by. MONICA GOMEZ If I recall, you pulled me out of the patrol car, I’m not sure if I was seeing things, but you looked like you had help. DAVINCI You were imagining things. MONICA GOMEZ No I’m serious there was a lot of commotion, voices, fading in and out, invisible figures that faded in and out, moving quickly and methodically. DAVINCI Well it’s a long story Detective. MONICA GOMEZ Please call me Monica. DAVINCI Ok, Monica, I spent three years in the Middle East, lot’s of issues I don’t want to talk about, everyone in my platoon was killed by a roadside bomb. (MORE) DAVINCI (CONT’D) I had a serious brain injury, when I came to in the hospital, I was surrounded by what I thought was a dream, or hallucination, shit, I don’t know what to call it, but the guys in my platoon surrounded my hospital bed, they followed me everywhere, I don’t know, sounds crazy but it’s as if they never died.

MONICA GOMEZ Interesting. Maybe they were the figures I saw, helping you after my car exploded. DAVINCI Who knows? DaVinci focuses on the guitar player who has a waist high cast on his right side. He has two tip jars, one on each side of his chair. Planted next to the tip jar on the right is a small shopping bag, as people walk by they would dump a few coins into the right tip jar. Some young teenagers, strolled by, listened, then put dollar bills in the tip jar on the left. After they deposited their tip, they stuck their hand in the paper bag, and pulled out what seemed to be a small baggie. DAVINCI (CONT’D) Detective, I mean Monica, check out that guitar player, he’s got two tip jars, looks like one for the public, the other for druggies. After he finished dealing he hobbled off to a waiting late model Chevy Van. I got the license number if you’re interested and a picture of the van. MONICA GOMEZ Very astute of you to notice, you have an eye for undercover work. (MORE)

MONICA GOMEZ (CONT’D) We’ve been watching him for months, he’s connected with a small-time East L.A. Drug gang, we’ve got eyes on him, he doesn’t know it, but his drug selling days will be over soon. DAVINCI What’s your plan? MONICA GOMEZ My plan is to recruit you to be my undercover connection with the street gangs. Are you interested? DAVINCI I don’t know, I’m a disbarred Plastic surgeon, an officer that lost his platoon in Afghanistan, a bum living under an L.A. Bridge, what good would I be? MONICA GOMEZ Don’t be so hard on yourself Doctor. I can use you, you’ll be paid well, enough to buy some decent clothes, and maybe a nice little place you can call home. DAVINCI Let me think about this. I’ll need some time.

MONICA GOMEZ Don’t wait too long, the streets are filling up with drug dealers, I need your help. DaVinci leaves the bench, walks past the guitar player, and smiles. The guitar player reaches into the right jar to pick out the cash, DaVinci observes a three leaf black clover with 6’s in each leaf and the letters AB inscribed below the clover. DaVinci, nonchalantly walks to a bench close-by, so he can observe the guitar playing drug dealer. The drug dealer picks up his gear and hobbles off a waiting white van. DaVinci snaps a cell phone picture capturing the van and a license plate. He walks to the Laguna Avenue bus stop where he boards a bus and heads back to his “palace” underneath the 6th street bridge. DaVinci realizes his brain has special powers with his Ghost Platoon. The Platoon was clean cut, raucous, superhumans. Misunderstood by their actions but loyal to DaVinci, their Platoon Commander. Later DaVinci calls Officer Gomez. DAVINCI We’re in, I mean I’m in. She nods with a puzzling grin. Later that night the drug dealer is settled in his apartment next to a window. A suspicious black four door sedan is driving by slowly. He begins to panic, grabs his cash, calls 911 and frantically reports the scene and that he fears for his life. DRUG DEALER 911 Please help me, 911 OPERATOR Sir was your name and where are you calling from?

DRUG DEALER Hurry, they’re coming after me. 911 OPERATOR Who’s coming after you. I see where you're at an address near Echo Park. mDRUG DEALER They’re getting out of their car, and coming into my building. 911 OPERATOR Sir we’re sending a unit out to your address. DRUG DEALER Hurry! The drug dealer exits, walks down the second floor hallway looking for the fire escape. Pushes the handle, jumps down to the landing on the fire escape, he’s in pain, begins hobbling down to the first floor, then onto the street. The passengers, rival gang members, enter the building with drawn guns, they climb the stairs, first floor, second floor, move down the hall, look for the drug dealer's apartment, Apartment 211, bust open the door, check the rooms, nobody, one of the rival gang members looks out the window. He sees a man trying to run with a cast on his right leg. He flags his fellow gang members, they see the guitar drug dealer hobbling, then ducking into an alley. They run down the stairs, the chase begins, the guitar player is at the end of the alley, sees an eight foot fence, he gasps, muttering expletives, starts climbing up the fence, there’s barbed wire at the top, if he doesn’t make it, he’s dead meat. Guitar playing drug dealer climbs to the top of the fence, tries to get over, he’s hears voices shouting VOICE ONE We’ll kill you “ Cavarone.” His cast gets caught at the top of the fence, he pulls as hard as he can, nothing, muttering to himself, maybe I can crawl down the other side, his cast is caught in the barbed wire, he’s hanging upside down. Two squad cars come down the alley, the gang members flee, the guitar playing drug dealer is hanging.

OFFICER ONE Ok buddy, we just saved your life. PACO Get me outta here man. Can’t you see I’m in extreme pain. OFFICER ONE What’s your name? (As they untangle Paco from the fence) PACO What’s it to you? Just get me out of here. Paco is now laying on the ground. Moaning. OFFICER ONE We’re taking you to a hospital. We hear ambulance sirens approaching. PACO No man just get me up. I can make it home. Officer Two is on the two way with the Captain. OFFICER TWO Norm, the Captain says we have to let this character go. OFFICER ONE If that’s what they want, we have no choice. Let’s turn him lose. Weeks later. Two gangbangers are in a dark late model car in a residential neighborhood in East L.A. Smoking weed.

DRIVER Hey man, this is good stuff. He hands the weed to his passenger. PASSENGER We should get back to the warehouse, the boss is waiting. DRIVER C’mon man, he can wait. (inhales) A dark pickup truck drives up the block slowly. As he approaches the gangbangers, the passenger pulls out an AK 47, they come up to the car, the passenger in the car waves to the driver in the dark car, pulls out his AK -47 and begins spraying the dark car, bullets are flying, windows are breaking, the gangbangers are ducking, the gangbangers are shot dead. Collateral damage to homes and anyone standing in the line of fire are hit by the shooter. They burn rubber and race down the residential street. Neighbors come out of their homes to see the carnage. It was a Saturday afternoon and Angelina Perez was sitting on her front lawn trying to lure her cat out from the front porch. She rose to her feet from a crouched position and a black pickup truck slowly drove by spraying passengers in the car parked in front of the Perez home. The front porch and windows in front of the house are blown out. The ten year old was in the line of fire, she would be the latest victim of a drive-by in the L.A’s, Barrio. The victim of a stray bullet, her little body held the promise of an Olympic medal someday. All of this gone in a flash, a crumpled lifeless body, gone from life to limp. Oscar Perez heard the gunfire, a familiar sound, and charged out of his house to see his child who lay motionless. She was gone and he knew that his life no longer had any meaning. When the police arrived they attempted to console him. OFFICER ONE Mr. Perez, we can’t tell you how sorry we are. (MORE)

OFFICER ONE (CONT’D) Did you see anything that could help us find these murderers? Oscar Perez is holding his daughter in his arms. Officer one is trying to calm him down. OSCAR PEREZ These sons of bitches, assholes, murderers, will pay for this. Why would God let this happen, she was a beautiful little girl, her future was bright. (Looking up to the sky.) There is no God, why would he let this happen. (Drowning his tears on Angelina’s limp body.) Two plainclothes officers approach Oscar and ask if they could speak to him. They were assigned to the gang squad, Detective Gomez was in radio contact with them. DETECTIVE DIAZ Oscar, this isn’t the time and place we are very sorry, whatever your plans for your daughter, were available to help. Let’s talk tomorrow. DETECTIVE BALLANTE We’re going to comb the area for anyone that either saw something or had their front porch camera recording this assassination. The Detectives arrive at the station hours later, their flagged into a room with Detective Gomez. DETECTIVE DIAZ That little girl had no chance. Her father’s a mess. He’s ready to go to war to avenge his daughter's murder. DETECTIVE BALLANTE We’re checking the neighborhood to see if anyone has this on camera. DETECTIVE DIAZ Officer Degner just messaged me that one of the neighbors has a video of the pickup truck that the two gangsters were in. Detective Gomez’s mind is in brainstorming mode. She calls DaVinci, and fills him in. OSCAR PEREZ This is bullshit. I want revenge, we’ve been under this cloud for years, ignoring the killings. (MORE) OSCAR PEREZ (CONT’D) Marcella Perez is crying in the kitchen.

MARCELLA Oscar, our little baby is dead. Watch what you say, you could be next. OSCAR PEREZ Marcella, we have to take a stand. I promise you I will not take matters into my own hands. MARCELLA We have to move out of this area, Oscar, I’ve had enough of the killings, the rapes, the drug dealing. Oscar is sobbing on the couch, nodding his approval. Oscar didn’t know that he was about to become a part of something that would profoundly affect his community. He had lost his son Mario, an LAPD rookie officer, to gang crossfire, and now his daughter. On an evening after the funeral, Oscar answered the phone and agreed to meet with the detectives after midnight. OSCAR PEREZ Hello, who is this? DETECTIVE ONE Oscar, this is Detective Diego, my partner and I want to pick you up and meet some people that could help in finding the people that murdered your daughter. OSCAR PEREZ It’s after midnight, what will I tell my wife? DETECTIVE DIAZ Tell her the LAPD has got some leads on your daughter's murder, and they want to talk to me right now. MARCELLA I’m coming with you.

OSCAR PEREZ They want to see me alone. I can handle it Marcella, trust me. It’s approaching midnight Oscar is waiting patiently looking out his front window waiting for the officers. A car arrives, the two detectives flash their lights on and off, Oscar opens the passenger door. Detective One is driving, the other detective is in the back seat. DETECTIVE DIAZ Oscar, we know you’re hurting. And we hear that you want revenge. OSCAR PEREZ I’m moving out of this hell hole. As they drive off. Oscar looks back and sees Marcella looking out of their living room window. DETECTIVE DIAZ We need to talk to you in a safe place. The secret meeting place is in a warehouse in the rear of a junk yard filled with dismantled cars, not too far from the Sixth Street Bridge. The two detectives escort Oscar into the warehouse. Detectives Carlos Diaz, and Eddie Ballante are making sure nobody’s eyes are on their meeting. Oscar is looking around, what’s next? The light was poor but Oscar could see men, some faintly, seated at a long table.

DETECTIVE DIAZ (CONT’D) (CONT’D) Oscar, not sure if you’ve not met our lead Detective Gomez. Next to her is a neighbor that lives six houses away. Oscar focuses and recognizes Johnny Solario. The two men stare at each other for a long moment then lock in a powerful embrace, sobbing uncontrollably , tears streaming down their faces. The pain of unbearable loss. OSCAR PEREZ I’m surprised to see you here Johnny. I think the last time we saw each other was at your son Antonio's funeral. Detective Gomez sits silently. DETECTIVE DIAZ This meeting is off the books. I want both of you men to assure us that you understand, the things we talk about may make you cringe, you may want to leave. If you leave, it means you were never here. (MORE) DETECTIVE DIAZ (CONT’D) Understood? And if you were never here, you can’t talk about it. Oscar and Johnny both show nods of approval.

DETECTIVE BALLANTE We are here tonight to break the law. We want to make sure the punks in these gangs pay for the pain, suffering and heartache they have caused. There will come a time when The neighborhoods will no longer live in fear. It will be the gangs, the punks who will live in fear. We offer no mercy. Age will not matter. They will pay with their lives and the price will be ten to one. For every one us that falls, there will be ten of them who die. We will call this secret, Society of Vengeance. “La Society of Venganza!” JOHNNY SOLARIO (Regaining his composure) I want to be a part of this. No matter what it takes I want to avenge my son’s death. Solario was a thirty year veteran of the LAPD, he was comfortable with his retirement, despite the loss of his wife. My sons grew up knowing that their father would be proud of them if they became police officers. You know they both lived at home after my wife Anna died. They both respected me, and wanted to be close to me. We would have dinner together almost every night. All we talked about were police matters. They always asked for my advice. Detective’s Diaz, and Ballante exit the warehouse leaving the two men alone. Johnny Solario, sat at the long table, with a grim face, he was in his late fifties, he sat at the table quietly. His eyes were glazed, he looked around the almost empty warehouse, knowing that he had every right to be at this meeting. The warehouse is dead quiet. Johnny Solario rises from his chair with a determined demeanor. Slamming the table with his fist. JOHNNY SOLARIO (CONT’D) I’m going to rip their hearts out like they did to me! I want vengeance! Let the “La Society of Venganza!” Begin. DaVinci picks up information at his homeless camp that a big drug deal is about to come down. A drug trafficking gang in South Central Los Angeles based in Mexico is about to deliver more than three million dollars of fentanyl to one East L.A. Gang Unit’s Detective Gomez’s been investigating. DAVINCI The Downtown Crips plan to steal the drugs during the (transfer.) DETECTIVE DIAZ There will be some fireworks. You should stay away. DAVINCI I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Keep me in the loop. Sixteenth Street Gang and the Twenty Eighth Street Gang resulted in the apprehension of two men and the seizure of more than three million dollars of fentanyl.

Ricardo Choza sits next to a memorial for his girlfriend, Briana Soto, during Poly/PAAL High School commencement ceremony at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach, Thursday, June 13, 2024. Seventeen-year-old Briana Soto was just steps away from her Long Beach home when she was gunned down in March for no apparent reason. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova. A jury in Long Beach today found a man guilty of murder for shooting a 17-year-old Poly High School student to death for reasons that remain a mystery. Long Beach resident Troy Lamar Fox, 34, now faces over 100 years to life in prison at an upcoming sentencing hearing, according to prosecutors. Briana Soto, who was described as a cheerful and upbeat student, had just clocked out of her job at McDonald’s and was walking home when she was fatally shot near the intersection of 11th Street and Lewis Avenue at about 8:22 p.m. on March 26, 2024, prosecutors said. She was so close to home at the time that her mother heard the shots, according to police. Police said previously that it didn’t appear Fox had any prior relationship with Soto. He did not appear to interact with her at all before the shooting. Troy Lamar Fox. Courtesy the Long Beach Police Department. During the trial, prosecutors did not present evidence of a potential motive for Soto’s killing. Fox’s conviction hinged on DNA evidence and an interrogation room identification from his ex-girlfriend.

A senior criminologist testified during the trial that DNA collected from one of the four bullet casings at the murder scene returned a match for Fox. Homicide detectives also tried to track the suspected shooter’s movements by collecting video footage from around the scene, but they lost track of the shooter on video near 11th Street and Lime Avenue, where prosecutors say Fox’s girlfriend, Tyrisha Hawkins, lived at the time. Detectives arrested Hawkins on a weapons charge nearly six months after Soto’s killing. In an interview captured on video with detectives in September, Hawkins said the man shown in the security camera clips matched Fox’s walk and had on black, white and red Nike Jordan 11s, which Fox also owned at the time. Hawkins also testified that Fox had access to her Nissan, which prosecutors allege Fox used to carry out a separate shooting in a parking lot near 14th Street and Pine Avenue on the morning of April 9, when Fox allegedly fired at, but missed, four teenagers as they drove away. Police said this man, right, shot 17-year-old Briana Soto, left, as she walked home from work on March 26, 2024. Photos courtesy the Long Beach Police Department. Prosecutors alleged that Fox fired 13 rounds during the April shooting. At the time of both shootings, Fox had a warrant out for his arrest dating back to November 2023, when he allegedly violated the terms of his conditional release related to a conviction of illegal weapons possession, police said. On Friday, Fox was found guilty of one count of premeditated murder, four counts of attempted murder stemming from the separate shooting two weeks later and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

His history of convictions dates back to 2013 when he accepted a plea deal on one felony count of making criminal threats in Antelope Valley. Since then, Fox has also served time for grand theft in 2015 and 2017, felony burglary and grand theft in 2018 along with commercial burglary in 2019. Outside a hearing last October, Soto’s mother, Ana Morales, said in Spanish that she was only hoping for one thing: That justice be done for her, that is what I ask. Fox is due back in court for sentencing on June 9.

The Blue Column A man who kidnapped Season 1 _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ LONG BEACH, Calif. (CNS) -- a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint in Texas, then repeatedly sexually assaulted her while driving her to Long Beach, where she was rescued by waving a "help me'' note to passersby, was sentenced Friday to 35 years in federal prison. Steven Robert Sablan, 63, of Cleburne, Texas, pleaded guilty last year to kidnapping. According to federal prosecutors, the girl was walking in San Antonio on July 6, 2023, when Sablan pulled alongside her in a gray Nissan Sentra, pointed a gun at her and ordered her into the car. He drove away with the girl and asked how old she was, and she told him she was 13, prosecutors said. The girl also told him she had a friend in Australia, and Sablan allegedly told her that he could take her to a cruise ship so she could visit the friend, "but she had to do something for him first,'' prosecutors said. Sablan allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl and began driving her to California, sexually assaulting her at least two more times along the way, according to prosecutors.

On July 9, Sablan parked the car in Long Beach and went into a laundromat to wash their clothes, prosecutors said. While he was away, the girl -- still in the car -- wrote "Help Me'' on a note and showed it to people passing by, prompting one of them to call police. Responding officers found the girl, and she mouthed the word "help'' to them, according to prosecutors. Long Beach police located and arrested Sablan. Officers searching the suspect's car found the girl's "help me'' note, as well as a black BB gun and a pair of handcuffs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said the girl had been reported as a runaway in San Antonio.

The Blue Column Man wounded 2. Title Written Copyright ____________________________________________________________ Mike Colonna ____________________________________________________________ in shooting near Atlantic Avenue and Market Street, Long Beach police say Long Beach police are investigating a shooting that left a man wounded Sunday night. Police said they learned of the gunfire when the victim arrived at a local hospital around 7 p.m. He told officers he was near Atlantic Avenue and Market Street when he “heard noises and observed he was injured,” Long Beach police said in a statement posted on their website. “The man self-transported to the hospital.” Officers searched the area but couldn’t find evidence of a crime scene, police said. Police are still trying to gather information on any suspects or motive.

The Blue Column Jury convicts Season 1 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ gunman of murdering 17-year-old Poly student as she walked home from work Ricardo Choza sits next to a memorial for his girlfriend, Briana Soto, during Poly/PAAL High School commencement ceremony at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach, Thursday, June 13, 2024. Seventeen-year-old Briana Soto was just steps away from her Long Beach home when she was gunned down in March for no apparent reason. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova. A jury in Long Beach today found a man guilty of murder for shooting a 17-year-old Poly High School student to death for reasons that remain a mystery. Long Beach resident Troy Lamar Fox, 34, now faces over 100 years to life in prison at an upcoming sentencing hearing, according to prosecutors. Briana Soto, who was described as a cheerful and upbeat student, had just clocked out of her job at McDonald’s and was walking home when she was fatally shot near the intersection of 11th Street and Lewis Avenue at about 8:22 p.m. on March 26, 2024, prosecutors said. She was so close to home at the time that her mother heard the shots, according to police. Police said previously that it didn’t appear Fox had any prior relationship with Soto. He did not appear to interact with her at all before the shooting. Troy Lamar Fox. Courtesy the Long Beach Police Department.

During the trial, prosecutors did not present evidence of a potential motive for Soto’s killing. Fox’s conviction hinged on DNA evidence and an interrogation room identification from his ex-girlfriend. A senior criminologist testified during the trial that DNA collected from one of the four bullet casings at the murder scene returned a match for Fox. Homicide detectives also tried to track the suspected shooter’s movements by collecting video footage from around the scene, but they lost track of the shooter on video near 11th Street and Lime Avenue, where prosecutors say Fox’s girlfriend, Tyrisha Hawkins, lived at the time. Detectives arrested Hawkins on a weapons charge nearly six months after Soto’s killing. In an interview captured on video with detectives in September, Hawkins said the man shown in the security camera clips matched Fox’s walk and had on black, white and red Nike Jordan 11s, which Fox also owned at the time.

Hawkins also testified that Fox had access to her Nissan, which prosecutors allege Fox used to carry out a separate shooting in a parking lot near 14th Street and Pine Avenue on the morning of April 9, when Fox allegedly fired at, but missed, four teenagers as they drove away. Police said this man, right, shot 17-year-old Briana Soto, left, as she walked home from work on March 26, 2024. Photos courtesy the Long Beach Police Department. Prosecutors alleged that Fox fired 13 rounds during the April shooting. At the time of both shootings, Fox had a warrant out for his arrest dating back to November 2023, when he allegedly violated the terms of his conditional release related to a conviction of illegal weapons possession, police said. On Friday, Fox was found guilty of one count of premeditated murder, four counts of attempted murder stemming from the separate shooting two weeks later and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

His history of convictions dates back to 2013 when he accepted a plea deal on one felony count of making criminal threats in Antelope Valley. Since then, Fox has also served time for grand theft in 2015 and 2017, felony burglary and grand theft in 2018 along with commercial burglary in 2019. Outside a hearing last October, Soto’s mother, Ana Morales, said in Spanish that she was only hoping for one thing: That justice be done for her, that is what I ask. Fox is due back in court for sentencing on June 9. ____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________ LONG BEACH, Calif. (CNS) -- a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint in Texas, then repeatedly sexually assaulted her while driving her to Long Beach, where she was rescued by waving a "help me'' note to passersby, was sentenced Friday to 35 years in federal prison. Steven Robert Sablan, 63, of Cleburne, Texas, pleaded guilty last year to kidnapping. According to federal prosecutors, the girl was walking in San Antonio on July 6, 2023, when Sablan pulled alongside her in a gray Nissan Sentra, pointed a gun at her and ordered her into the car. He drove away with the girl and asked how old she was, and she told him she was 13, prosecutors said. The girl also told him she had a friend in Australia, and Sablan allegedly told her that he could take her to a cruise ship so she could visit the friend, "but she had to do something for him first,'' prosecutors said. Sablan allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl and began driving her to California, sexually assaulting her at least two more times along the way, according to prosecutors.

On July 9, Sablan parked the car in Long Beach and went into a laundromat to wash their clothes, prosecutors said. While he was away, the girl -- still in the car -- wrote "Help Me'' on a note and showed it to people passing by, prompting one of them to call police. Responding officers found the girl, and she mouthed the word "help'' to them, according to prosecutors. Long Beach police located and arrested Sablan. Officers searching the suspect's car found the girl's "help me'' note, as well as a black BB gun and a pair of handcuffs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said the girl had been reported as a runaway in San Antonio.

THE BLUE COLUMN VANESSA WESTSIDE SHOOTING __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ SPRING LAKE, N.C. (WTVD) -- New search warrants in the abduction of a 15-year-old girl in Harnett County last month reveal conversations between the teen and one of her alleged abductors on social media. Two men, Elihue Mahler, 31, of Virginia Beach, and Austyn Lee Cole, 23, of Kitty Hawk, are facing human trafficking and kidnapping charges after the teen went missing from her home near Spring Lake in February, prompting a statewide AMBER Alert. Documents show that the teen told her mom she needed to go outside to get a water bottle from their car, however, a conversation using Instagram's direct messaging system shows she was making plans to meet up with a person with the username "rich_mf_ez", which belonged to Mahler, according to search warrants. On Feb. 25, the account messaged the girl "Yo" and "Where you at." After the teen responded, "rich_mf_ez" instructed her multiple times to delete all of the messages before leaving. He then told her "Look in like 12 minutes go ahead and sneak out and start walking down the street." The teen was eventually found safe with Mahler and Cole in Dare County more than 100 miles from home. During the search, the girl's mother told investigators her daughter's phone had parental controls that prevented her from downloading social media apps. But the teen had a tablet, which was missing from the scene, without those controls. According to authorities, Mahler has a lengthy criminal history in Virginia, including fleeing to elude and assault on a law enforcement officer, while Cole's history is not as "substantial."

Both men were considered flight risks and the judge increased their bonds to $5 million each in Harnett County. They face charges of felony human trafficking of a child victim, felony kidnapping, felony conspiracy to kidnap, and felony conspiracy, human trafficking. Two suspects have been charged in an AMBER Alert that involved a 15-year-old Harnett County girl. Two suspects have been charged in an AMBER Alert that involved a 15-year-old Harnett County girl. SBISocial media dangers

ABC 11 spoke with Laura Tierney, the Founder and CEO of The Social Institute in Durham - whose mission is to help parents and kids navigate technology and channel it for good. "You are who you surround yourself with," Tierney said. "And so I always tell the students, avoid anonymous platforms and sites that can easily surround you with strangers." Tierney said that traffickers have become more adept at reaching kids, utilizing new social media platforms and even online gaming to get in contact with potential victims. She said that nowadays, it's much more likely an online threat will try to build a relationship with a potential victim over time. "Unfortunately, traffickers have gotten even more sophisticated in how they approach people, especially young people. And one major trend that they often do is try to just build trust over time," she said. While the warrants from last week's kidnapping underscore the potential risks for kids of interacting with strangers online, Tierney said there are warning signs for potentially illicit interactions that parents can look out for. "If your child doesn't want you to see their screen, like if they're quickly closing tabs or, you know, changing what's on their screen or even angling their device that way. And also if they start pulling back more than usual. So if they're spending more time alone or avoiding family activities," Tierney said.

Tierney added that there are powerful built-in settings families can use, like making all accounts private and turning off location sharing on different apps. She said young people should be sensitive to any attempts to extract personal information. Local News Teen girl speaks out after attempted abduction in South Miami Miami.

THE BLUE COLUMN WATERTOWN, _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ New York (WWNY) - A teenager from Georgia is accused of abducting a girl from Watertown for sexual purposes. City police arrested 18-year-old Keller Singleton of Rome, Georgia on a felony count of first-degree kidnapping. Police said a 13-year-old girl had been reported missing from Watertown on January 6. Officials said their investigation led them to Singleton, who allegedly used social media to help the girl run away. They said Singleton planned to bring the girl to his home in Georgia for sexual purposes. According to police, Singleton abandoned the girl at a restaurant in Marion, Virginia the next day. She called the police. Virginia State Police took Singleton into custody in the nearby community of Chilhowie. According to court documents, Singleton allegedly picked up the girl at the Burger King on State Street on the morning of January 6. The papers also allege Singleton sent messages through the social media app Snapchat showing his intent to sexually abuse the girl. Singleton was extradited to Watertown and arraigned. He’s being held in the Jefferson County Jail. More charges are possible pending grand jury action.

“We strongly encourage parents to monitor their children’s online activity and social media usage for the potential harm that can be caused by people the children may encounter on the internet,” city police said in a news release. Watertown police were assisted by the Jefferson County Emergency Management Dispatch Center, the New York State Police, the North Country Crime Analysis Center, the Virginia State Police, the New York State Missing Person’s Clearinghouse, and the FBI.

THE BLUE COLUMN BELMONT SHORE CAR BOMB ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Stolen truck collides with vehicles during California police chase A man was taken into custody after crashing into 13 vehicles while trying to evade police in Long Beach, California on Friday. Aerial footage shows the suspect speeding into oncoming traffic and colliding head-on with multiple vehicles, before crashing into the car park of a paint shop. Motorist Ricardo Colindes told CBS News he was dropping off parts when his work truck was stolen by the suspect. At least one officer was injured in the incident, according to local media. No serious injuries were reported. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cn4w7yr2z1ro The Los Angeles Police Department chased a car into Long Beach on Friday. The driver fled through the city on Del Amo Boulevard, sometimes traveling at high speeds and on the wrong side of the roadway.

FOX11 Los Angeles reported the car was stolen. Helicopter footage showed the driver bail out of the car in a culdesac in Cerritos around 12:50 p.m. Police chased him on foot for several blocks and took him into custody near Corby Avenue and Christy Street by Gridley Park. _

____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ THE BLUE COLUMN HOMELESS BALLAST POINT An abandoned RV parking lot has been taken over by squatters. Those who live and work nearby say they see several RV fires and crime occurring regularly. Clean-up efforts will begin March 26 after the property owner won a court order to remove the occupants. THE BLUE COLUMN Season 1 _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ LOS ANGELES - Cleanup efforts were underway Wednesday after residents in the City of Industry said a parking lot full of abandoned RVs had been taken over by the homeless. Indio: Lookup Anyone's Home Value Instantly by Address (Take a Look) Those who work and live near the lot, which is located at Azusa and Gale avenues, said fires are a regular occurrence in the parking lot. The property manager, neighbors, and business owners say it's become a crime-ridden homeless encampment over the past two years. Massive homeless RV encampment cleared out A luxury RV lot that has been taken over by squatters and the homeless is starting to be cleaned out. Officials have given residents five days to get out. What they're saying: "Homelessness keeps increasing and increasing and increasing since I’ve been living here and it honestly just comes down to our politicians who are doing nothing about it," said Nissan employee Khaled Ghrewahti. Nissan employees use part of the parking lot for inventory overflow and they say they're fed up with the homeless stealing brand new car tires and gas from the tanks. "At night it’s kinda scary to go to our cars. Every morning the sheriff’s department drives through the lot and then they just leave, but they told us they can’t really do anything because it’s abandoned," said Nissan receptionist Kiki. RV lot taken over by homeless to be cleaned out Homeless squatters have taken over a luxury RV lot in Industry, but now officials say they expect to clear out the encampment soon.

The property manager told FOX 11 the man who bought 130 brand new campers just left them in the lot and hasn't paid rent in two years. Raymond Henderson works at a local meat market and stays in one of the RVs. He said the owner of the lot told him he could live in one of the trailers for $300 a month. "What they’re about to do is put everybody back out on the street and they don’t care. The city gets so much money to bring in to house these people. They don’t spend the money on that," Henderson said. Cleanup efforts begin What's Being Done : Cleanup efforts to begin at RV park Cleanup efforts were set to begin Wednesday after squatters took over a luxury RV park. The property manager said it's going to cost $80,000 to clean up the trash. Clean up efforts were underway on Wednesday, March 26. They hope to have everyone out within two days.

LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis said the property owner won a court order to remove the occupants. An outreach team is helping them find housing. Solis released a statement saying in part, "The RV storage lot near Azusa and Gale is located within the boundaries of the City of Industry. Although the City does not own the site, this issue is a private dispute between the property owners and a private party. It is my understanding that on September 6, 2024, the property owner initiated legal proceedings to regain possession of the site. After completing the necessary legal steps, the owner recently obtained a judgment for possession.

I am aware that a writ of possession has been filed, a court order that authorizes the property owner to take legal action to remove anyone occupying the site. Once issued, it is expected that the property owners will take the appropriate steps to enforce it.The County of Los Angeles does not have jurisdiction over land use matters in incorporated cities like the City of Industry, but my office has been proactive in addressing concerns at the lot. Recently, I engaged the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST) to conduct outreach, and they will be returning this week to continue their efforts."

_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ THE BLUE COLUMN LONG BEACH POLICE CHASE The Los Angeles Police Department chased a car into Long Beach on Friday. The driver fled through the city on Del Amo Boulevard, sometimes traveling at high speeds and on the wrong side of the roadway. FOX11 Los Angeles reported the car was stolen. Helicopter footage showed the driver bail out of the car in a cul-de-sac in Cerritos around 12:50 p.m. Police chased him on foot for several blocks and took him into custody near Corby Avenue and Christy Street by Gridley Park. Long Beach police pull people from flaming car after fiery crash on 710 Freeway

THE BLUE COLUMN Fleeing suspects _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ crash into citizen’s vehicle during police pursuit An innocent driver was taken to the hospital when a group of suspects fleeing from officers crashed into another car earlier this week, according to the Long Beach Police Department. Police said the pursuit started around 11:18 p.m. Monday when officers tried to stop a vehicle near 15th Street and Locust Avenue. The driver sped off, and, “While in pursuit, the suspect vehicle collided with another vehicle,” the LBPD said in a statement. Support facts not fear News happens fast. In the midst of crime, disasters and other breaking news, the Long Beach Post has reporters and photographers who run to the scene to bring you reliable information. If you value this vital community resource, support it with a tax-deductible donation.

The fleeing vehicle eventually stopped near Long Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway where three people inside tried to run from police. Officers took one of the suspects to the ground during a foot pursuit and were also able to arrest a second suspect, according to the department. SWAT officers were called in to search for the third suspect near North Pasadena Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, but, “After conducting their search, they were unable to locate the outstanding suspect,” police said. Officers also found two guns in the car, police said. The bystander injured in the crash is expected to recover from injuries that weren’t life-threatening, police said. May 14, 2024

THE BLUE COLUMN Freeway Crash _____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ A 15-year-old boy was killed and three other teens were injured in a crash on the northbound 710 Freeway that police today said involved a stolen Kia Optima that collided with a big rig and caught fire. Officers were sent to the 100 block of Jaymills Avenue at about 10:10 p.m. Monday “regarding a stolen vehicle,” according to the Long Beach Police Department. “The calling party advised her Kia had been stolen, however, she located the vehicle and could see four occupants inside the car,” police said in a statement. “As officers were responding, the vehicle left the area.” The Long Beach Police Department’s helicopter began tracking the vehicle, but there were no officers in pursuit when the Kia crashed into a semi-truck on the 710 Freeway, police said.

“Officers were quickly on scene and pulled the four occupants from the stolen vehicle as it became engulfed in flames. Officers rendered medical aid until (Long Beach Fire Department personnel) transported all four occupants to local hospitals,” police said. The crash occurred on the northbound 710 Freeway near Anaheim Street according to the California Highway Patrol. Video footage at the scene showed LBPD officers dragging several people from the burning Kia and attempting to douse the flames with fire extinguishers before the arrival of LBFD personnel. Firefighters then knocked down the fire in the burning Kia, CHP Officer Erik Larsen told City News Service. Support facts not fear News happens fast.

In the midst of crime, disasters and other breaking news, the Long Beach Post has reporters and photographers who run to the scene to bring you reliable information. If you value this vital community resource, support it with a tax-deductible donation. The LBPD will be investigating any possible criminal charges related to the crash and the CHP will handle the traffic portion of the investigation, Larsen said. According to the CHP, the 2020 Kia was being driven by a 15-year-old Long Beach boy, who died at a hospital. His name was not immediately released. Also in the Kia were two girls, ages 13 and 15, both of Long Beach; and a 14-year-old boy from Los Angeles, according to the CHP, which reported that the three were taken to a hospital for treatment of “moderate” injuries.

The driver of the big rig was not injured, the CHP reported. “The preliminary investigation indicates a 15-year-old male of Long Beach, CA was driving a stolen 2020 Kia, transitioning from Shoreline Drive to northbound I-710 in the #2 lane,” a CHP statement said. “A 22-year-old male was driving a 2024 Freightliner in the #4 lane. As the Kia passed the Freightliner, the 15-year-old male turned sharply to the west — appeared to (be) trying to exit I-710 onto the Anaheim Street off-ramp — directly in front of the Freightliner tractor. The front of the Freightliner crashed into the right side of the stolen Kia. It is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in this crash.” All lanes of the northbound freeway were closed for several hours while police conducted their investigation of the crash and looked for evidence related to the crash. Any witnesses or anyone with further information is encouraged to contact CHP Officer Gonzales at the South Los Angeles Area office, 424-551-4000; or the CHP Los Angeles Communications Center at 323-259- 3200.

“This tragic event highlights a nationwide trend in which juveniles are stealing vehicles and driving recklessly,” LBPD Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement. “While the driver of the vehicle ultimately succumbed to his injuries, I must commend the officers for their heroic actions. I am extremely proud of their courage and willingness to run toward this dangerous situation in order to rescue the occupants. I believe their actions prevented the further loss of life and demonstrates their commitment to public safety.”

THE BLUE COLUMN Atlantic Avenue _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Man wounded in shooting near Atlantic Avenue and Market Street, Long Beach police say Long Beach police are investigating a shooting that left a man wounded Sunday night. Police said they learned of the gunfire when the victim arrived at a local hospital around 7 p.m. He told officers he was near Atlantic Avenue and Market Street when he “heard noises and observed he was injured,” Long Beach police said in a statement posted on their website. “The man self-transported to the hospital.” Officers searched the area but couldn’t find evidence of a crime scene, police said. Police are still trying to gather information on any suspects or motive. _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________ THE BLUE COLUMN The Jury ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Jury convicts gunman of murdering 17-year-old Poly student as she walked home from work Ricardo Choza sits next to a memorial for his girlfriend, Briana Soto, during Poly/PAAL High School commencement ceremony at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach, Thursday, June 13, 2024. Seventeen-year-old Briana Soto was just steps away from her Long Beach home when she was gunned down in March for no apparent reason. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova. A jury in Long Beach today found a man guilty of murder for shooting a 17-year-old Poly High School student to death for reasons that remain a mystery. Long Beach resident Troy Lamar Fox, 34, now faces over 100 years to life in prison at an upcoming sentencing hearing, according to prosecutors. Briana Soto, who was described as a cheerful and upbeat student, had just clocked out of her job at McDonald’s and was walking home when she was fatally shot near the intersection of 11th Street and Lewis Avenue at about 8:22 p.m. on March 26, 2024, prosecutors said. She was so close to home at the time that her mother heard the shots, according to police. Police said previously that it didn’t appear Fox had any prior relationship with Soto. He did not appear to interact with her at all before the shooting. Troy Lamar Fox. Courtesy the Long Beach Police Department.

During the trial, prosecutors did not present evidence of a potential motive for Soto’s killing. Fox’s conviction hinged on DNA evidence and an interrogation room identification from his ex-girlfriend. A senior criminologist testified during the trial that DNA collected from one of the four bullet casings at the murder scene returned a match for Fox. Homicide detectives also tried to track the suspected shooter’s movements by collecting video footage from around the scene, but they lost track of the shooter on video near 11th Street and Lime Avenue, where prosecutors say Fox’s girlfriend, Tyrisha Hawkins, lived at the time. Detectives arrested Hawkins on a weapons charge nearly six months after Soto’s killing. In an interview captured on video with detectives in September, Hawkins said the man shown in the security camera clips matched Fox’s walk and had on black, white and red Nike Jordan 11s, which Fox also owned at the time.

Hawkins also testified that Fox had access to her Nissan, which prosecutors allege Fox used to carry out a separate shooting in a parking lot near 14th Street and Pine Avenue on the morning of April 9, when Fox allegedly fired at, but missed, four teenagers as they drove away. Police said this man, right, shot 17-year-old Briana Soto, left, as she walked home from work on March 26, 2024. Photos courtesy the Long Beach Police Department. Prosecutors alleged that Fox fired 13 rounds during the April shooting. At the time of both shootings, Fox had a warrant out for his arrest dating back to November 2023, when he allegedly violated the terms of his conditional release related to a conviction of illegal weapons possession, police said.

On Friday, Fox was found guilty of one count of premeditated murder, four counts of attempted murder stemming from the separate shooting two weeks later and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. His history of convictions dates back to 2013 when he accepted a plea deal on one felony count of making criminal threats in Antelope Valley. Since then, Fox has also served time for grand theft in 2015 and 2017, felony burglary and grand theft in 2018 along with commercial burglary in 2019. Outside a hearing last October, Soto’s mother, Ana Morales, said in Spanish that she was only hoping for one thing: That justice be done for her, that is what I ask. Fox is due back in court for sentencing on June 9.

THE BLUE COLUMN 13 year old ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ LONG BEACH, Calif. (CNS) -- A man who kidnapped a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint in Texas, then repeatedly sexually assaulted her while driving her to Long Beach, where she was rescued by waving a "help me'' note to passersby, was sentenced Friday to 35 years in federal prison. Steven Robert Sablan, 63, of Cleburne, Texas, pleaded guilty last year to kidnapping. According to federal prosecutors, the girl was walking in San Antonio on July 6, 2023, when Sablan pulled alongside her in a gray Nissan Sentra, pointed a gun at her and ordered her into the car. He drove away with the girl and asked how old she was, and she told him she was 13, prosecutors said. The girl also told him she had a friend in Australia, and Sablan allegedly told her that he could take her to a cruise ship so she could visit the friend, "but she had to do something for him first,'' prosecutors said. Sablan allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl and began driving her to California, sexually assaulting her at least two more times along the way, according to prosecutors.

On July 9, Sablan parked the car in Long Beach and went into a laundromat to wash their clothes, prosecutors said. While he was away, the girl -- still in the car -- wrote "Help Me'' on a note and showed it to people passing by, prompting one of them to call police. Responding officers found the girl, and she mouthed the word "help'' to them, according to prosecutors. Long Beach police located and arrested Sablan. Officers searching the suspect's car found the girl's "help me'' note, as well as a black BB gun and a pair of handcuffs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said the girl had been reported as a runaway in San Antonio.

THE BLUE COLUMN VANESSA WESTSIDE SHOOTING ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ SPRING LAKE, N.C. (WTVD) -- New search warrants in the abduction of a 15-year-old girl in Harnett County last month reveal conversations between the teen and one of her alleged abductors on social media. Two men, Elihue Mahler, 31, of Virginia Beach, and Austyn Lee Cole, 23, of Kitty Hawk, are facing human trafficking and kidnapping charges after the teen went missing from her home near Spring Lake in February, prompting a statewide AMBER Alert. Documents show that the teen told her mom she needed to go outside to get a water bottle from their car, however, a conversation using Instagram's direct messaging system shows she was making plans to meet up with a person with the username "rich_mf_ez", which belonged to Mahler, according to search warrants. On Feb. 25, the account messaged the girl "Yo" and "Where you at." After the teen responded, "rich_mf_ez" instructed her multiple times to delete all of the messages before leaving.

He then told her "Look in like 12 minutes go ahead and sneak out and start walking down the street." The teen was eventually found safe with Mahler and Cole in Dare County more than 100 miles from home. During the search, the girl's mother told investigators her daughter's phone had parental controls that prevented her from downloading social media apps. But the teen had a tablet, which was missing from the scene, without those controls.

According to authorities, Mahler has a lengthy criminal history in Virginia, including fleeing to elude and assault on a law enforcement officer, while Cole's history is not as "substantial." Both men were considered flight risks and the judge increased their bonds to $5 million each in Harnett County. They face charges of felony human trafficking of a child victim, felony kidnapping, felony conspiracy to kidnap, and felony conspiracy, human trafficking. Two suspects have been charged in an AMBER Alert that involved a 15-year-old Harnett County girl.

Social media dangers ABC11 spoke with Laura Tierney, the Founder and CEO of The Social Institute in Durham - whose mission is to help parents and kids navigate technology and channel it for good. "You are who you surround yourself with," Tierney said. "And so I always tell the students, avoid anonymous platforms and sites that can easily surround you with strangers." Tierney said that traffickers have become more adept at reaching kids, utilizing new social media platforms and even online gaming to get in contact with potential victims. She said that nowadays, it's much more likely an online threat will try to build a relationship with a potential victim over time. "Unfortunately, traffickers have gotten even more sophisticated in how they approach people, especially young people. And one major trend that they often do is try to just build trust over time," she said.

While the warrants from last week's kidnapping underscore the potential risks for kids of interacting with strangers online, Tierney said there are warning signs for potentially illicit interactions that parents can look out for. "If your child doesn't want you to see their screen, like if they're quickly closing tabs or, you know, changing what's on their screen or even angling their device that way. And also if they start pulling back more than usual. So if they're spending more time alone or avoiding family activities," Tierney said. Tierney added that there are powerful built-in settings families can use, like making all accounts private and turning off location sharing on different apps. She said young people should be sensitive to any attempts to extract personal information. Teen girl speaks out after attempted abduction in South Miami miami

THE BLUE COLUMN 16 year old __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Updated on: February 21, 2025 / 5:37 PM EST / CBS Miami A 16-year-old girl is speaking out after she was attacked and nearly abducted while walking in her South Miami neighborhood early Thursday morning. "I didn't want him to do anything to me. I just wanted to get out of there," the victim said. According to police, Brian Gamboa, a South Miami resident originally from New York, got out of his car around 11 p.m. and tried to force the teen inside. But she fought back. "I started screaming and punching him" "A guy came out of the car. He approached me and started attacking me by my shoulders and the back of my head," the victim recalled. "I fought back - I threw my phone at him, I started kicking him, I started screaming, I started punching him." The struggle escalated when Gamboa pushed her to the ground. "When he pushed me, I dragged him down with me. Then I kicked him in the crotch and the head and ran off. I screamed for help at a neighbor's door," she said. Gamboa fled the scene and surveillance video later captured him involved in a hit-and-run crash in a South Miami restaurant parking lot. Police took him into custody shortly afterward.

Suspect in custody, investigation continues The victim later identified Gamboa, who is now facing charges. His bond was set at $30,000 and he remains in custody awaiting an ankle monitor. Police said he has prior offenses, including possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license. "It's very scary. I'm trying to get over it," the victim said. "Hopefully, he goes to jail for a very long time. I don't think this man should ever be on the street again." As the investigation continues, police are looking for other possible victims. The teen has one message for others: "Always fight back, no matter how scary the situation is and always scream for help."

THE BLUE COLUMNVANESSA KIDNAPPING ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- A 59-year-old man was taken into custody Wednesday in connection with the alleged abduction of a 14-year-old girl in Long Beach that prompted an Amber Alert. "The subject has been located," the CHP said in an update on X shortly after 5:30 p.m. The alert was initially sent out before 4:30 p.m. in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, and was canceled about an hour later. The Inglewood Police Department told Eyewitness News that the suspect, Edward Mason, was taken into custody in the Garden Grove area. No further details were released. The teen, Nevaeh Holden, was found safe at a relative's home, police said. The incident remains under investigation.

THE BLUE COLUMN North Carolina Kidnapping ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ SILER CITY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two men are facing kidnapping and human trafficking charges in the case of a missing teen from Siler City. On February 21, Siler City Police Department got a report of a missing 15-year-old. State Bureau of Investigation agents were able to obtain, through electronic surveillance, that the victim had been abducted. That new information allowed police to request a statewide AMBER Alert. Two suspects were quickly identified. Ronny Suarez and the 15-year-old teen were located at West Strider Street in Asheboro. The other suspect, Saul Ramirez Guvara, was located at a Quality Inn in Kinston. Both suspects were taken into custody on charges including first-degree kidnapping, human trafficking of a child, and several other charges. Harnett County Teen Found, 2 Arrested

This is the second arrest in central North Carolina involving teen girls, AMBER Alerts that led to the arrest of suspects for kidnapping and trafficking charges. In an unrelated case, on Thursday, the Harnett County Sheriff's Office, the NC SBI and FBI arrest two men after an alert was issued for a 15-year-old. She was located in Dare County, N.C. Elihue Martin Mahler, 31, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and 23-year-old Austyn Lee Cole of Kitty Hawk, face charges of felony human trafficking of a child victim, felony kidnapping, felony conspiracy to kidnap, and felony conspiracy, human trafficking. The FBI warned parents to monitor their children's social media activity.

Concerns about human trafficking arise following 2 AMBER Alerts The common threads in the two cases in Chatham and Harnett counties is raising alarm bells for experts like Judy Paparozzi, who teaches at UNC Pembroke after decades fighting human trafficking. "12 to 15 is a target age group. The traffickers are online trolling. That guy may have worked on this girl if that was the person she was online with, he may have spent a year trying to groom her, to trust him and consider her for her to consider that he's the best thing in the world like someone... she's in love with and so forth," Paparozzi said. According to the Child Crime Prevention and Safety Center, an estimated 89 percent of sexual advances directed at children occur in Internet chatrooms or through instant messaging. It's proof Paparozzi says that shows that the trafficking industry is becoming more tech savvy and more lucrative as victims are being sold for sexual gratification. "The profits are enormous that the trafficker can earn a quarter of a million a year on one girl and the risk of prosecution is low because how do you recognize a human trafficking victim? She's so afraid of her trafficker, even if the police pulled over her car, how would they recognize her as not his niece or his daughter," she said.

THE BLUE COLUMN WATERTOWN ____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ , New York (WWNY) - A teenager from Georgia is accused of abducting a girl from Watertown for sexual purposes. City police arrested 18-year-old Keller Singleton of Rome, Georgia on a felony count of first-degree kidnapping. Police said a 13-year-old girl had been reported missing from Watertown on January 6. Officials said their investigation led them to Singleton, who allegedly used social media to help the girl run away. They said Singleton planned to bring the girl to his home in Georgia for sexual purposes.

According to police, Singleton abandoned the girl at a restaurant in Marion, Virginia the next day. She called the police. Virginia State Police took Singleton into custody in the nearby community of Chilhowie. According to court documents, Singleton allegedly picked up the girl at the Burger King on State Street on the morning of January 6. The papers also allege Singleton sent messages through the social media app Snapchat showing his intent to sexually abuse the girl. Singleton was extradited to Watertown and arraigned. He’s being held in the Jefferson County Jail. More charges are possible pending grand jury action.

“We strongly encourage parents to monitor their children’s online activity and social media usage for the potential harm that can be caused by people the children may encounter on the internet,” city police said in a news release. Watertown police were assisted by the Jefferson County Emergency Management Dispatch Center, the New York State Police, the North Country Crime Analysis Center, the Virginia State Police, the New York State Missing Person’s Clearinghouse, and the FBI.

THE BLUE COLUMN HOMELESS BALLAST POINT __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ The Brief An abandoned RV parking lot has been taken over by squatters. Those who live and work nearby say they see several RV fires and crime occurring regularly. Clean-up efforts will begin March 26 after the property owner won a court order to remove the occupants.

THE BLUE COLUMN LOS ANGELES - Cleanup _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ efforts were underway Wednesday after residents in the City of Industry said a parking lot full of abandoned RVs had been taken over by the homeless. Indio: Lookup Anyone's Home Value Instantly by Address (Take a Look) Those who work and live near the lot, which is located at Azusa and Gale avenues, said fires are a regular occurrence in the parking lot. The property manager, neighbors, and business owners say it's become a crime-ridden homeless encampment over the past two years. Massive homeless RV encampment cleared out A luxury RV lot that has been taken over by squatters and the homeless is starting to be cleaned out. Officials have given residents five days to get out.

What they're saying: "Homelessness keeps increasing and increasing and increasing since I’ve been living here and it honestly just comes down to our politicians who are doing nothing about it," said Nissan employee Khaled Ghrewahti. Nissan employees use part of the parking lot for inventory overflow and they say they're fed up with the homeless stealing brand new car tires and gas from the tanks. "At night it’s kinda scary to go to our cars. Every morning the sheriff’s department drives through the lot and then they just leave, but they told us they can’t really do anything because it’s abandoned," said Nissan receptionist Kiki.

RV lot taken over by homeless to be cleaned out Homeless squatters have taken over a luxury RV lot in Industry, but now officials say they expect to clear out the encampment soon. The property manager told FOX 11 the man who bought 130 brand new campers just left them in the lot and hasn't paid rent in two years. Raymond Henderson works at a local meat market and stays in one of the RVs. He said the owner of the lot told him he could live in one of the trailers for $300 a month. "What they’re about to do is put everybody back out on the street and they don’t care. The city gets so much money to bring in to house these people. They don’t spend the money on that," Henderson said.

Cleanup efforts begin What's Being Done : Cleanup efforts to begin at RV park Cleanup efforts were set to begin Wednesday after squatters took over a luxury RV park. The property manager said it's going to cost $80,000 to clean up the trash. Clean up efforts were underway on Wednesday, March 26. They hope to have everyone out within two days.

LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis said the property owner won a court order to remove the occupants. An outreach team is helping them find housing. Solis released a statement saying in part, "The RV storage lot near Azusa and Gale is located within the boundaries of the City of Industry. Although the City does not own the site, this issue is a private dispute between the property owners and a private party. It is my understanding that on September 6, 2024, the property owner initiated legal proceedings to regain possession of the site. After completing the necessary legal steps, the owner recently obtained a judgment for possession.

I am aware that a writ of possession has been filed — a court order that authorizes the property owner to take legal action to remove anyone occupying the site. Once issued, it is expected that the property owners will take the appropriate steps to enforce it.The County of Los Angeles does not have jurisdiction over land use matters in incorporated cities like the City of Industry, but my office has been proactive in addressing concerns at the lot. Recently, I engaged the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Ser vices Team (HOST) to conduct outreach, and they will be returning this week to continue their efforts."

THE BLUE COLUMN BELMONT SHORE CAR BOMB _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Stolen truck collides with vehicles during California police chase A man was taken into custody after crashing into 13 vehicles while trying to evade police in Long Beach, California on Friday. Aerial footage shows the suspect speeding into oncoming traffic and colliding head-on with multiple vehicles, before crashing into the car park of a paint shop. Motorist Ricardo Colindes told CBS News he was dropping off parts when his work truck was stolen by the suspect. At least one officer was injured in the incident, according to local media. No serious injuries were reported.

The Los Angeles Police Department chased a car into Long Beach on Friday. The driver fled through the city on Del Amo Boulevard, sometimes traveling at high speeds and on the wrong side of the roadway. FOX11 Los Angeles reported the car was stolen. Helicopter footage showed the driver bail out of the car in a cul-de-sac in Cerritos around 12:50 p.m. Police chased him on foot for several blocks and took him into custody near Corby Avenue and Christy Street by Gridley Park.

THE BLUE COLUMN LONG BEACH POLICE CHASE __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ The Los Angeles Police Department chased a car into Long Beach on Friday. The driver fled through the city on Del Amo Boulevard, sometimes traveling at high speeds and on the wrong side of the roadway. FOX11 Los Angeles reported the car was stolen. Helicopter footage showed the driver bail out of the car in a culdesac in Cerritos around 12:50 p.m. Police chased him on foot for several blocks and took him into custody near Corby Avenue and Christy Street by Gridley Park. Long Beach police pull people from flaming car after fiery crash on 710 Freeway

THE BLUE COLUMN A 15-year-old _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ boy was killed and three other teens were injured in a crash on the northbound 710 Freeway that police today said involved a stolen Kia Optima that collided with a big rig and caught fire. Officers were sent to the 100 block of Jaymills Avenue at about 10:10 p.m. Monday “regarding a stolen vehicle,” according to the Long Beach Police Department. “The calling party advised her Kia had been stolen, however, she located the vehicle and could see four occupants inside the car,” police said in a statement. “As officers were responding, the vehicle left the area.” The Long Beach Police Department’s helicopter began tracking the vehicle, but there were no officers in pursuit when the Kia crashed into a semi-truck on the 710 Freeway, police said. “Officers were quickly on scene and pulled the four occupants from the stolen vehicle as it became engulfed in flames. Officers rendered medical aid until (Long Beach Fire Department personnel) transported all four occupants to local hospitals,” police said.

The crash occurred on the northbound 710 Freeway near Anaheim Street according to the California Highway Patrol. Video footage at the scene showed LBPD officers dragging several people from the burning Kia and attempting to douse the flames with fire extinguishers before the arrival of LBFD personnel. Firefighters then knocked down the fire in the burning Kia, CHP Officer Erik Larsen told City News Service. News happens fast. In the midst of crime, disasters and other breaking news, the Long Beach Post has reporters and photographers who run to the scene to bring you reliable information. If you value this vital community resource, support it with a tax-deductible donation.

The LBPD will be investigating any possible criminal charges related to the crash and the CHP will handle the traffic portion of the investigation, Larsen said. According to the CHP, the 2020 Kia was being driven by a 15-year-old Long Beach boy, who died at a hospital. His name was not immediately released. Also in the Kia were two girls, ages 13 and 15, both of Long Beach; and a 14-year-old boy from Los Angeles, according to the CHP, which reported that the three were taken to a hospital for treatment of “moderate” injuries. The driver of the big rig was not injured, the CHP reported. “The preliminary investigation indicates a 15-year-old male of Long Beach, CA was driving a stolen 2020 Kia, transitioning from Shoreline Drive to northbound I-710 in the #2 lane,” a CHP statement said. “A 22-year-old male was driving a 2024 Freightliner in the #4 lane. As the Kia passed the Freightliner, the 15-year-old male turned sharply to the west — appeared to (be) trying to exit I-710 onto the Anaheim Street off-ramp — directly in front of the Freightliner tractor. The front of the Freightliner crashed into the right side of the stolen Kia. It is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in this crash.”

All lanes of the northbound freeway were closed for several hours while police conducted their investigation of the crash and looked for evidence related to the crash. Any witnesses or anyone with further information is encouraged to contact CHP Officer Gonzales at the South Los Angeles Area office, 424-551-4000; or the CHP Los Angeles Communications Center at 323-259- 3200.

“This tragic event highlights a nationwide trend in which juveniles are stealing vehicles and driving recklessly,” LBPD Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement. “While the driver of the vehicle ultimately succumbed to his injuries, I must commend the officers for their heroic actions. I am extremely proud of their courage and willingness to run toward this dangerous situation in order to rescue the occupants. I believe their actions prevented the further loss of life and demonstrates their commitment to public safety.”

BLUE COLUMN Fleeing suspects ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ crash into citizen’s vehicle during police pursuit An innocent driver was taken to the hospital when a group of suspects fleeing from officers crashed into another car earlier this week, according to the Long Beach Police Department. Police said the pursuit started around 11:18 p.m. Monday when officers tried to stop a vehicle near 15th Street and Locust Avenue. The driver sped off, and, “While in pursuit, the suspect vehicle collided with another vehicle,” the LBPD said in a statement. Support facts not fear News happens fast. In the midst of crime, disasters and other breaking news, the Long Beach Post has reporters and photographers who run to the scene to bring you reliable information. If you value this vital community resource, support it with a tax-deductible donation.

The fleeing vehicle eventually stopped near Long Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway where three people inside tried to run from police. Officers took one of the suspects to the ground during a foot pursuit and were also able to arrest a second suspect, according to the department. SWAT officers were called in to search for the third suspect near North Pasadena Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, but, “After conducting their search, they were unable to locate the outstanding suspect,” police said. Officers also found two guns in the car, police said. The bystander injured in the crash is expected to recover from injuries that weren’t life-threatening, police said.

THE BLUE COLUMN GINO BARTOLI __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Attempted Murder of By Mike Colonna On the evening of March 31, 1985, GINO BARTOLI was at his home on Vista Street in Long Beach with his 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter. BARTOLI was not expecting any visitors and was in the shower at some point between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., when his son told him someone at the door wanted to see him. BARTOLI got out of the shower, put on shorts and a T-shirt, and headed to the front door, where HALVERSON was standing. BARTOLI, who had not known that HALVERSON knew where he lived, was surprised to see him and told him to wait while he dressed. BARTOLI did not know why HALVERSON had come to his home, but thought perhaps HALVERSON wanted to borrow money or arrange a business transaction.

BARTOLI walked toward his bedroom, but then felt “strange” and turned around. HALVERSON, who had not said anything, was standing about five to six feet behind him. When BARTOLI asked what he was doing, HALVERSON raised a gun and said: “You're dead, GINO, you're dead.” As BARTOLI asked why, HALVERSON shot him in the left side of his upper chest from a distance of less than three feet. The shot knocked BARTOLI backward two or three feet into the wall. BARTOLI screamed for his children to leave the house and was grabbing for HALVERSON when HALVRSON fired a second shot, hitting BARTOLI under right shoulder. BARTOLI, who was six feet five inches tall and weighed about 270 pounds, pushed HALVERSON backward into a china cabinet in the dining room, smashing a glass pane. HALVERSON and BARTOLI lay on the broke glass.

BARTOLI pinned HALVERSON down by the throat and grabbed HALVERSON’S gun with his left hand. BARTOLI pulled the trigger two or three times but the gun did not fire, so GINO let go of the gun. BARTOLI grabbed a piece of broken glass and cut BARTOLI’S throat. HALVERSON screamed, “you got me, GINO. I’m dead, I’m dead.’ Believing he had killed HALVERSON, BARTOLI managed to crawl to the front door of the house, across the lawn, and to the sidewalk, where paramedics treated him. BARTOLI later was admitted to the hospital and underwent surgery. HALVERSON, bleeding escaped through the back door. The search began.

The Battle of Berlin resulted in the surrender of the German army and the death of Adolf Hitler (by suicide). It was a resounding victory for the Soviet Union and the Allies. The battle took its toll on both sides, however. ... The city of Berlin was reduced to rubble and around 22,000 German civilians were killed.Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany, was subject to 363 air raids during the Second World War.
The Amber Room began its life in 1701, when it was designed by the German architect Andreas Schlüter, and construction on the ornate wall panels was begun at the Charlottenburg Palace in Prussia, which was the residence of the first King of Prussia, Friedrich I. The King’s wife at the time, Sophie Charlotte, had requested it be erected within the palace. The room was actually mostly built by an amber specialist by the name of Gottfried Wolfram, of the Royal Court of Denmark. Wolfram worked on the room until 1707, after which the two amber masters Gottfried Turau and Ernst Schacht continued construction and completed it in 1709.

The room was one of the most amazing masterpieces of 18th century craftsmanship and artistry, and must surely have been a spectacle to behold. Upon the walls of the room were enormous panels fashioned from tons of the purest Danish amber, which was encrusted with various gemstones and inlaid with gold. Upon these sweeping panels of gold and gem-covered amber were installed ornate mirrors on gold fittings that were meticulously decorated with more gold and pieces of amber, as well as jewel emblazoned mosaics trimmed with even more gold. The overall impression was of a shimmering room completely made of gold and amber that was said to blaze into a fiery brilliance when lit up by the room’s 565 candles. It was purportedly such an awe-inspiring site that it was often referred to as “The 8th Wonder of the World.”

In subsequent years more gold, amber, and gems were brought in, and when renovations were eventually completed, The Amber Room consisted of around 6 tons of amber and gems, was 17 meters (55.8 feet ) in length, and covered around 55 square meters with glittering beauty. It has been estimated by historians as having a total value of around 150 million dollars in today’s money. Truly this must have been one of the most breathtaking works of art in human history. The Amber Room was passed down to subsequent rulers in Russia, for whom it remained a priceless showcase of the palace and a source of pride until 1941, when WWII brought with it hordes of hostile Germans looking to loot and kill.