Indecent Exposure
On 03/28/2011, at 10:08am, in the 3900 block of Auburndale St. (Clairemont Mesa East area) a white male in his 20 to 30's drove around the area, then pulled up next to a 19 year old female and asked if she needed a ride. He exposed himself to her. He drove away in a newer midnight blue Ford Mustang. He was described as slender with a two day beard, strawberry blond hair, and freckles. He was wearing a black baseball cap on backwards, a black shirt and black pants. Anyone with information please call San Diego Police Departments' Northern Division at 858-552-1700. Inc #55528 For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/4671533/?sub_id=250566.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Panel says Calif AG should promote rehabilitation
Panel says Calif AG should promote rehabilitation
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
San Francisco, CA (AP) --
California Attorney General Kamala Harris should take on an expanded role by attacking the roots of crime while trying to keep parolees from returning to prison, law enforcement and reform experts said in a report and comments Wednesday.
The report, requested by Harris and written by an advisory panel, also said one of the top jobs of the state's chief law enforcement officer should be reducing recidivism. That was one of Harris' promises during last year's campaign.
Seven of every 10 parolees return to prison within three years, even though the state spends nearly double the national average to keep inmates incarcerated and nearly a third more than the national average on supervising parolees. The skyrocketing costs consume a dime of every dollar from the state's general fund.
"We are paying more and getting less than nearly any other state in the country," wrote the group led by Los Angeles County's sheriff and the district attorneys of Merced and San Diego counties.
"It is sucking us dry financially," said Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse in presenting the report at a conference with more than 150 experts convened by Harris in San Francisco. The attorney general, he said, can be a "voice of leadership" in seeking solutions.
The advisers who gathered Wednesday were among 435 experts Harris asked to spend three months examining how California can resolve problems in 11 areas, ranging from gangs and guns to enforcement of environment laws and school truancy. Others addressed mortgage fraud, consumer protection, civil rights and victims' rights.
Harris said in an interview with The Associated Press that she has made no commitment to accept any of the recommendations, though her office already had begun working on some of the problems outlined in the reports.
She said a common theme from her advisers was that she can use her office to "bring people together around a table." She said her office also can gather information to help solve problems and set standards, and that she can use the power of her office to promote changes.
Harris has long said the state needs to be "smart on crime" as well as tough on crime. She called her advisers the "smart on crime work groups."
"We have to not only look at reacting to crime but prevention of crime," she said in response to the recidivism group's report.
This year, Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed shifting lower-risk offenders and parolees to counties' jurisdiction as part of his plan to bridge a deficit of nearly $27 billion in the state budget.
Harris' group noted that county jails and services already are overburdened. Putting more money into treating and educating ex-convicts, and finding them jobs and housing, would cost less and produce better results in the long run, the group said.
"Those who are violent and dangerous need to be locked up for a long time," said San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, a Republican who was co-chairwoman of group that examined inmate recidivism. "Those who we have a chance to turn around, we need to do that."
The group also recommended that Harris follow the lead of several other states and convene a state level "re-entry council" that would coordinate services among state agencies.
"It's a very different role," Harriet Salarno, founder and chairwoman of Crime Victims United of California, said in a telephone interview. "My question is, how far can the attorney general legally go? It seems like it's infringing on the governor and the Legislature."
She was upset that no victims' rights representatives were on the re-entry panel, though another of Harris' groups addressed victims' rights.
Dumanis said in a telephone interview that she expected the governor would welcome Harris' leadership. Brown spokesman Gil Duran said he could not immediately comment.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/03/16/state/n000410D84.DTL
San Francisco, CA (AP) --
California Attorney General Kamala Harris should take on an expanded role by attacking the roots of crime while trying to keep parolees from returning to prison, law enforcement and reform experts said in a report and comments Wednesday.
The report, requested by Harris and written by an advisory panel, also said one of the top jobs of the state's chief law enforcement officer should be reducing recidivism. That was one of Harris' promises during last year's campaign.
Seven of every 10 parolees return to prison within three years, even though the state spends nearly double the national average to keep inmates incarcerated and nearly a third more than the national average on supervising parolees. The skyrocketing costs consume a dime of every dollar from the state's general fund.
"We are paying more and getting less than nearly any other state in the country," wrote the group led by Los Angeles County's sheriff and the district attorneys of Merced and San Diego counties.
"It is sucking us dry financially," said Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse in presenting the report at a conference with more than 150 experts convened by Harris in San Francisco. The attorney general, he said, can be a "voice of leadership" in seeking solutions.
The advisers who gathered Wednesday were among 435 experts Harris asked to spend three months examining how California can resolve problems in 11 areas, ranging from gangs and guns to enforcement of environment laws and school truancy. Others addressed mortgage fraud, consumer protection, civil rights and victims' rights.
Harris said in an interview with The Associated Press that she has made no commitment to accept any of the recommendations, though her office already had begun working on some of the problems outlined in the reports.
She said a common theme from her advisers was that she can use her office to "bring people together around a table." She said her office also can gather information to help solve problems and set standards, and that she can use the power of her office to promote changes.
Harris has long said the state needs to be "smart on crime" as well as tough on crime. She called her advisers the "smart on crime work groups."
"We have to not only look at reacting to crime but prevention of crime," she said in response to the recidivism group's report.
This year, Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed shifting lower-risk offenders and parolees to counties' jurisdiction as part of his plan to bridge a deficit of nearly $27 billion in the state budget.
Harris' group noted that county jails and services already are overburdened. Putting more money into treating and educating ex-convicts, and finding them jobs and housing, would cost less and produce better results in the long run, the group said.
"Those who are violent and dangerous need to be locked up for a long time," said San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, a Republican who was co-chairwoman of group that examined inmate recidivism. "Those who we have a chance to turn around, we need to do that."
The group also recommended that Harris follow the lead of several other states and convene a state level "re-entry council" that would coordinate services among state agencies.
"It's a very different role," Harriet Salarno, founder and chairwoman of Crime Victims United of California, said in a telephone interview. "My question is, how far can the attorney general legally go? It seems like it's infringing on the governor and the Legislature."
She was upset that no victims' rights representatives were on the re-entry panel, though another of Harris' groups addressed victims' rights.
Dumanis said in a telephone interview that she expected the governor would welcome Harris' leadership. Brown spokesman Gil Duran said he could not immediately comment.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/03/16/state/n000410D84.DTL
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Officials to overhaul prison education amid complaints
Officials to overhaul prison education amid complaints
March 14, 2011
Michael Montgomery
CDRC
State officials are moving to revamp educational classes in prisons across California following widespread complaints that the programs are poorly designed and could leave some inmates ill-prepared for life after release.
A draft report released last week by the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board cited ongoing problems including “increased class size, reduced time in class, administrative paperwork, student turnover, wrongly assigned students, inmate homework, and elimination of some vocational education programs.”
In some California prisons teachers are struggling to handle as many as 150 students while inmates get as little as three hours of classroom instruction per week.
The report warned ineffective programs could hinder the “rehabilitative outcomes” of inmates. This in turn could undermine efforts to reduce prison overcrowding by cutting recidivism.
Many of the problems arose last year after budget cuts led the department of corrections to develop five new academic models and a literacy program that attempted to maximize enrollment by adjusting the number of hours inmates spend in classes each week.
The department also reduced its vocational classes by almost 50 percent, keeping only “programs that are industry certified, market driven based on employment development outlook data, have a minimum starting pay of $15 an hour, and can be completed within 12 months.”
The report by the rehabilitation oversight board found the new educational models did not comply with recommendations of a 2007 expert panel and were not “evidence-based” programs.
Prison educators agreed.
“It’s a numbers game. It’s not education,” said John Kern of the Service Employees International Union Local 1000, which represents state educators.
Of the roughly 21,000 adult inmates enrolled in academic classes last year, many ended up in "Model 4," which has a target student-teacher ratio of 120-1. Some 82 percent of the teachers assigned to Model 4 programs said they spent most of their time managing paperwork instead of working with students, according to union surveys.
“The classroom resembled more of a train station than anything else, with all the trains running slowly or canceled,” Kern said.
Prison officials conceded that program cuts were too aggressive and some educational models were poorly implemented.
“What we’re getting back in feedback from teachers, students, administrators alike is that we stretched that too far and that the teachers feel they have to see so many students now they really can’t be effective at all,” said Matthew Cate, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Cate said the department was working with educators and administrators to retool the academic models and cut the student-teacher ratios to more manageable levels.
Corrections staff declined to provide more details, saying the changes were still being worked out.
But in a tight budget environment there will be unavoidable trade-offs. It is expected that in order to lower the student-teacher ratio the department will cut available classroom slots, reducing the number of inmates enrolled in academic programs in the near term.
However, educators hope that increasing the amount of classroom instruction will boost academic performance and move inmates through the programs more quickly, thus opening new spaces.
“We should not act is if we’re tinkering with a functional program,” said Kern. “We are not meeting the needs of most inmates as it is. So any changes are welcome.”
If efforts to overhaul the academic models are successful, educators are hoping to revise the department’s assignment system, which determines how inmates are placed in various programs.
“We need a way to get inmates properly assessed so they are in the right program at the right time, every time. We’re still a long ways from being able to do that,” Kern said.
http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/officials-overhaul-prison-education-amid-complaints-9200
March 14, 2011
Michael Montgomery
CDRCState officials are moving to revamp educational classes in prisons across California following widespread complaints that the programs are poorly designed and could leave some inmates ill-prepared for life after release.
A draft report released last week by the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board cited ongoing problems including “increased class size, reduced time in class, administrative paperwork, student turnover, wrongly assigned students, inmate homework, and elimination of some vocational education programs.”
In some California prisons teachers are struggling to handle as many as 150 students while inmates get as little as three hours of classroom instruction per week.
The report warned ineffective programs could hinder the “rehabilitative outcomes” of inmates. This in turn could undermine efforts to reduce prison overcrowding by cutting recidivism.
Many of the problems arose last year after budget cuts led the department of corrections to develop five new academic models and a literacy program that attempted to maximize enrollment by adjusting the number of hours inmates spend in classes each week.
The department also reduced its vocational classes by almost 50 percent, keeping only “programs that are industry certified, market driven based on employment development outlook data, have a minimum starting pay of $15 an hour, and can be completed within 12 months.”
The report by the rehabilitation oversight board found the new educational models did not comply with recommendations of a 2007 expert panel and were not “evidence-based” programs.
Prison educators agreed.
“It’s a numbers game. It’s not education,” said John Kern of the Service Employees International Union Local 1000, which represents state educators.
Of the roughly 21,000 adult inmates enrolled in academic classes last year, many ended up in "Model 4," which has a target student-teacher ratio of 120-1. Some 82 percent of the teachers assigned to Model 4 programs said they spent most of their time managing paperwork instead of working with students, according to union surveys.
“The classroom resembled more of a train station than anything else, with all the trains running slowly or canceled,” Kern said.
Prison officials conceded that program cuts were too aggressive and some educational models were poorly implemented.
“What we’re getting back in feedback from teachers, students, administrators alike is that we stretched that too far and that the teachers feel they have to see so many students now they really can’t be effective at all,” said Matthew Cate, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Cate said the department was working with educators and administrators to retool the academic models and cut the student-teacher ratios to more manageable levels.
Corrections staff declined to provide more details, saying the changes were still being worked out.
But in a tight budget environment there will be unavoidable trade-offs. It is expected that in order to lower the student-teacher ratio the department will cut available classroom slots, reducing the number of inmates enrolled in academic programs in the near term.
However, educators hope that increasing the amount of classroom instruction will boost academic performance and move inmates through the programs more quickly, thus opening new spaces.
“We should not act is if we’re tinkering with a functional program,” said Kern. “We are not meeting the needs of most inmates as it is. So any changes are welcome.”
If efforts to overhaul the academic models are successful, educators are hoping to revise the department’s assignment system, which determines how inmates are placed in various programs.
“We need a way to get inmates properly assessed so they are in the right program at the right time, every time. We’re still a long ways from being able to do that,” Kern said.
http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/officials-overhaul-prison-education-amid-complaints-9200
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Result of furloughs - $1 billion liability Prison guards, supervisors rack up millions of hours in paid time off
Result of furloughs - $1 billion liability
Prison guards, supervisors rack up millions of hours in paid time off
Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
California prison guards and their supervisors have racked up 33.2 million hours of vacation, sick and other paid time off - an astounding accumulation that amounts to nearly half a year per worker.
It also adds up to a $1 billion liability for taxpayers of the deficit-plagued state.
Poor management at California's prisons has for years allowed workers to stock up on generous amounts of paid time off - a benefit that employees must either use or cash out when they retire. But the numbers swelled when former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger imposed furloughs in 2009, forcing prison guards and their supervisors to take unpaid days off each month to help save state cash.
Furloughs are problematic at California's 33 state prisons, all of which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and have thousands of unfilled prison guard positions. Workers have been coming in on their furlough days and banking paid time off.
"You can't shut prisons down," Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman Oscar Hidalgo said. "You have to keep them operational. You have to cover every post. You don't want to endanger staff by not doing that."
Overtime a given
For prison guards, overtime is practically a given. According to JeVaughn Baker, a spokesman for the prison guard union, there are about 3,000 vacancies for corrections guards alone; Hidalgo said the number is around 2,000. Prison guards, like most public safety employees, do not work a normal 40-hour week; instead, they work 164 hours in a 28-day cycle. Any time over that amount is overtime.
Although Schwarzenegger's three-day-a-month furlough policy ended last year for most state employees, it is still in place for prison guards as they continue to negotiate a contract with Gov. Jerry Brown's administration.
"This was a unilateral action by the (former) governor, and it turned out to be a very misguided policy," said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. "It was done across the board, without distinguishing or differentiating between workplaces."
Brown's office referred questions about the issue to Hidalgo, who acknowledged that furloughs have increased the amount of time on the books.
"The reality is, it became a very difficult policy to implement and manage over a long period of time," he said. "It's been a challenge since day one."
Schwarzenegger ordered most state workers onto two-day-a-month furloughs in February 2009, as the state faced a $42 billion deficit. The order, which impacted about 200,000 employees, was later extended to three days a month. Schwarzenegger exempted some 24/7 workers, including California Highway Patrol officers and firefighters, but not prison workers.
Despite the furloughs and other cost-cutting measures, California now faces a $26.6 billion budget deficit in its general fund.
Bad relationship
The state's 28,628 prison guards had an acrimonious relationship with Schwarzenegger, and since 2007 have been working under a contract imposed by his administration. Another 5,243 prison supervisors and managers employed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation must still take one furlough day a month, Hidalgo said, down from three.
Together, those 33,871 employees account for the 33.2 million hours of banked time off on the books. Of that total, just 4.4 million is furlough time; but sick and vacation time have also soared, because furlough hours are used first when prison officials do take time off.
Hidalgo said Brown's election "breathed new life" into negotiations with the prison guards union, and added that a contract would help the department start chipping away at the banked time off.
"The resolution would be to get a contract in place that is fair to employees and the state, so we can start depleting it over a long period of time," he said.
The fact that corrections employees have saved large amounts of paid time is not a new issue. In January 2000, state auditors warned that poor management of sick time was causing the prison agency to pay excessive overtime, that the department could face a cash flow problem if too many employees retired at once and cashed out their balances, and that the entire situation has the perverse effect of discouraging workers from seeking promotion "because they can easily earn as much as, or more than, their supervisors by working overtime."
Problem made worse
In October 2009, a report by the Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes concluded that furloughs severely compounded the problem - driving up unused vacation time by 500 percent compared to the year before.
Meanwhile, state workers who retire and cash out are compensated for all the banked hours at their highest pay rate.
The Senate report said the state's liability can be calculated by using the top pay rate for a prison guard: $34.91 an hour. Multiplied by 33.2 million hours, the liability is around $1.15 billion. It could be higher: In most cases, supervisors and managers make even more.
But Hidalgo noted that not everyone is near retiring.
"There are employees at retirement age that probably have a significant bank of vacation time they have accrued; however, we also have young employees that aren't considering retiring, and will need to deplete that time over some years," he said. In the meantime, guards continue to rack up leave hours.
"The numbers are just absolutely staggering," said Baker, the union spokesman. "Naturally, with more than 30,000 members, there are going to be large balances, but the number has been severely compounded by the previous administration imposing furloughs."
Baker said the inability of employees who work in a high-stress environment, such as prisons, to take time off is having another detrimental effect.
"We prefer our members have time off - there are mental health concerns and safety issues, and they simply want to be able to spend time with their families," he said.
E-mail Marisa Lagos at mlagos@sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/08/MNSQ1I2ASB.DTL
This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Prison guards, supervisors rack up millions of hours in paid time off
Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
California prison guards and their supervisors have racked up 33.2 million hours of vacation, sick and other paid time off - an astounding accumulation that amounts to nearly half a year per worker.
It also adds up to a $1 billion liability for taxpayers of the deficit-plagued state.
Poor management at California's prisons has for years allowed workers to stock up on generous amounts of paid time off - a benefit that employees must either use or cash out when they retire. But the numbers swelled when former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger imposed furloughs in 2009, forcing prison guards and their supervisors to take unpaid days off each month to help save state cash.
Furloughs are problematic at California's 33 state prisons, all of which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and have thousands of unfilled prison guard positions. Workers have been coming in on their furlough days and banking paid time off.
"You can't shut prisons down," Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman Oscar Hidalgo said. "You have to keep them operational. You have to cover every post. You don't want to endanger staff by not doing that."
Overtime a given
For prison guards, overtime is practically a given. According to JeVaughn Baker, a spokesman for the prison guard union, there are about 3,000 vacancies for corrections guards alone; Hidalgo said the number is around 2,000. Prison guards, like most public safety employees, do not work a normal 40-hour week; instead, they work 164 hours in a 28-day cycle. Any time over that amount is overtime.
Although Schwarzenegger's three-day-a-month furlough policy ended last year for most state employees, it is still in place for prison guards as they continue to negotiate a contract with Gov. Jerry Brown's administration.
"This was a unilateral action by the (former) governor, and it turned out to be a very misguided policy," said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. "It was done across the board, without distinguishing or differentiating between workplaces."
Brown's office referred questions about the issue to Hidalgo, who acknowledged that furloughs have increased the amount of time on the books.
"The reality is, it became a very difficult policy to implement and manage over a long period of time," he said. "It's been a challenge since day one."
Schwarzenegger ordered most state workers onto two-day-a-month furloughs in February 2009, as the state faced a $42 billion deficit. The order, which impacted about 200,000 employees, was later extended to three days a month. Schwarzenegger exempted some 24/7 workers, including California Highway Patrol officers and firefighters, but not prison workers.
Despite the furloughs and other cost-cutting measures, California now faces a $26.6 billion budget deficit in its general fund.
Bad relationship
The state's 28,628 prison guards had an acrimonious relationship with Schwarzenegger, and since 2007 have been working under a contract imposed by his administration. Another 5,243 prison supervisors and managers employed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation must still take one furlough day a month, Hidalgo said, down from three.
Together, those 33,871 employees account for the 33.2 million hours of banked time off on the books. Of that total, just 4.4 million is furlough time; but sick and vacation time have also soared, because furlough hours are used first when prison officials do take time off.
Hidalgo said Brown's election "breathed new life" into negotiations with the prison guards union, and added that a contract would help the department start chipping away at the banked time off.
"The resolution would be to get a contract in place that is fair to employees and the state, so we can start depleting it over a long period of time," he said.
The fact that corrections employees have saved large amounts of paid time is not a new issue. In January 2000, state auditors warned that poor management of sick time was causing the prison agency to pay excessive overtime, that the department could face a cash flow problem if too many employees retired at once and cashed out their balances, and that the entire situation has the perverse effect of discouraging workers from seeking promotion "because they can easily earn as much as, or more than, their supervisors by working overtime."
Problem made worse
In October 2009, a report by the Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes concluded that furloughs severely compounded the problem - driving up unused vacation time by 500 percent compared to the year before.
Meanwhile, state workers who retire and cash out are compensated for all the banked hours at their highest pay rate.
The Senate report said the state's liability can be calculated by using the top pay rate for a prison guard: $34.91 an hour. Multiplied by 33.2 million hours, the liability is around $1.15 billion. It could be higher: In most cases, supervisors and managers make even more.
But Hidalgo noted that not everyone is near retiring.
"There are employees at retirement age that probably have a significant bank of vacation time they have accrued; however, we also have young employees that aren't considering retiring, and will need to deplete that time over some years," he said. In the meantime, guards continue to rack up leave hours.
"The numbers are just absolutely staggering," said Baker, the union spokesman. "Naturally, with more than 30,000 members, there are going to be large balances, but the number has been severely compounded by the previous administration imposing furloughs."
Baker said the inability of employees who work in a high-stress environment, such as prisons, to take time off is having another detrimental effect.
"We prefer our members have time off - there are mental health concerns and safety issues, and they simply want to be able to spend time with their families," he said.
E-mail Marisa Lagos at mlagos@sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/08/MNSQ1I2ASB.DTL
This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
5-yr old RPV child abducted in Carson in 2009 found in New Orleans
5-yr old RPV child abducted in Carson in 2009 found in New Orleans.
A 5-year child Rancho Palos Verdes child, abducted from a Carson child care center when he was three, was recovered safely in Louisiana on Friday. His parents were arrested in New Orleans by police officers and deputy United States Marshals.
Shalomiel Sol-El was placed into the care of his grandparents by the courts years ago, after repeated attempts by the County of Los Angeles to assist the parents in the proper care for Shalomiel. Shalomiel was suffering from numerous medical conditions that could have been prevented with the proper care and medication, but his parents refused to provide the child with necessary medical appointments, dental exams, occupational therapists and ophthalmology appointments.
Shalomiel was eventually placed with his maternal grandparents where a significant change was immediately evident. Shalomiel’s medical conditions improved and his speech was starting to develop.
Then, during a court appointed visitation on April 25, 2009 at a child care center in Carson, his parents allegedly abducted him.
The child's adbduction was investigated by detectives with the Carson Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The case was referred to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for assistance, after all leads had been exhausted by sheriff’s detectives.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who work in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service and all police agencies, assigned the case to the Sex Offender Investigations Branch in Los Angeles which specializes in the apprehension of violent and high risk sex offenders, as well as handling child abduction cases.
Extensive efforts were made to find the child without success. This included extensive publicity and following up on any possible tips that resulted.
It seemed as though Shalomiel and his parents had disappeared without a trace for almost two years. Then on February 20, 2011, persistent police work by an observant National Park Services police officer resulted in the arrest of Ausar Allah-El, the father of the missing child.
While on patrol in New Orleans, Louisiana, the officer noticed something odd about a male who was panhandling at a park on his patrol route. Officer Pickard interviewed the panhandler and noticed he was nervous as he texted someone on his cellular phone. A warrants check revealed that the panhandler was Suspect Ausar Allah-El, who was wanted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for child abduction.
When Allah-El was placed into custody he indicated that his wife and child were with him in New Orleans.
With Allah-El in custody, the officer immediately notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who in turn relayed the information to the case agent in Los Angeles.
The two week search for the mother and child was coordinated by the U.S. Marshals Sex offender Investigations Branch in Los Angeles and the Sex Offender Investigations Branch in New Orleans. They were assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force in conjunction with the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Through multiple interviews and relentless investigative work, especially by the U.S. Marshals Task Force in New Orleans and New Orleans police officers, the child's mother, Suspect Serenity Sol-El was found on Friday, March 4, and placed under arrest.
Most importantly, the mother had five year old Shalomiel with her. Shalomiel was extremely malnourished and only weighed 38 pounds. He was immediately taken into protective custody.
"Shalomiel has made the trip from New Orleans back to Rancho Palos Verdes, and has been returned to the custody of his maternal grandparents," said Deputy U.S. Marshal David Dominguez. "He is beginning to adjust to living in a normal environment. Doctors say that although the recovery process will take a while, Shalomiel should thrive with the proper medical attention. Shalomiel is already scheduled to attend school and is getting his appetite back.
Suspects Ausar Allah-El and Serenity Sol-El are in custody in New Orleans for charges related to the alleged child abduction, with bail set at $100,000.00. Extradition to Los Angeles County is being sought by sheriff's investigators.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children offers safety tips for parents to discuss with their youngsters at: http://www.missingkids.com
Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org
Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau – Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
(323) 267-4800
www.lasd.org
SHBNewsroom@lasd.org
Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
A 5-year child Rancho Palos Verdes child, abducted from a Carson child care center when he was three, was recovered safely in Louisiana on Friday. His parents were arrested in New Orleans by police officers and deputy United States Marshals.
Shalomiel Sol-El was placed into the care of his grandparents by the courts years ago, after repeated attempts by the County of Los Angeles to assist the parents in the proper care for Shalomiel. Shalomiel was suffering from numerous medical conditions that could have been prevented with the proper care and medication, but his parents refused to provide the child with necessary medical appointments, dental exams, occupational therapists and ophthalmology appointments.
Shalomiel was eventually placed with his maternal grandparents where a significant change was immediately evident. Shalomiel’s medical conditions improved and his speech was starting to develop.
Then, during a court appointed visitation on April 25, 2009 at a child care center in Carson, his parents allegedly abducted him.
The child's adbduction was investigated by detectives with the Carson Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The case was referred to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for assistance, after all leads had been exhausted by sheriff’s detectives.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who work in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service and all police agencies, assigned the case to the Sex Offender Investigations Branch in Los Angeles which specializes in the apprehension of violent and high risk sex offenders, as well as handling child abduction cases.
Extensive efforts were made to find the child without success. This included extensive publicity and following up on any possible tips that resulted.
It seemed as though Shalomiel and his parents had disappeared without a trace for almost two years. Then on February 20, 2011, persistent police work by an observant National Park Services police officer resulted in the arrest of Ausar Allah-El, the father of the missing child.
While on patrol in New Orleans, Louisiana, the officer noticed something odd about a male who was panhandling at a park on his patrol route. Officer Pickard interviewed the panhandler and noticed he was nervous as he texted someone on his cellular phone. A warrants check revealed that the panhandler was Suspect Ausar Allah-El, who was wanted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for child abduction.
When Allah-El was placed into custody he indicated that his wife and child were with him in New Orleans.
With Allah-El in custody, the officer immediately notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who in turn relayed the information to the case agent in Los Angeles.
The two week search for the mother and child was coordinated by the U.S. Marshals Sex offender Investigations Branch in Los Angeles and the Sex Offender Investigations Branch in New Orleans. They were assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force in conjunction with the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Through multiple interviews and relentless investigative work, especially by the U.S. Marshals Task Force in New Orleans and New Orleans police officers, the child's mother, Suspect Serenity Sol-El was found on Friday, March 4, and placed under arrest.
Most importantly, the mother had five year old Shalomiel with her. Shalomiel was extremely malnourished and only weighed 38 pounds. He was immediately taken into protective custody.
"Shalomiel has made the trip from New Orleans back to Rancho Palos Verdes, and has been returned to the custody of his maternal grandparents," said Deputy U.S. Marshal David Dominguez. "He is beginning to adjust to living in a normal environment. Doctors say that although the recovery process will take a while, Shalomiel should thrive with the proper medical attention. Shalomiel is already scheduled to attend school and is getting his appetite back.
Suspects Ausar Allah-El and Serenity Sol-El are in custody in New Orleans for charges related to the alleged child abduction, with bail set at $100,000.00. Extradition to Los Angeles County is being sought by sheriff's investigators.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children offers safety tips for parents to discuss with their youngsters at: http://www.missingkids.com
Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org
Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau – Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
(323) 267-4800
www.lasd.org
SHBNewsroom@lasd.org
Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Friday, March 4, 2011
NFL defense end, two others charged in 2008 Lancaster murder
Former NFL defense end, two others charged in 2008 Lancaster murder
LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELATIONS DIVISION
STEVE COOLEY District Attorney JOSEPH SCOTT Director
JOHN K. SPILLANE Chief Deputy District Attorney SANDI GIBBONS P.I.O.
JANE ROBISON News Secretary
SHIARA M. DÁVILA Asst. P.I.O.
18-1112 Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
210 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 974-3525
March 4, 2011
Former NFL defense end, two others charged in Lancaster murder
LANCASTER – Former Raiders defensive end Anthony Wayne Smith and two purported associates have been charged with murdering a 31-year-old man in Lancaster more than two years ago, the District Attorney’s office announced today with the arrest of all three defendants.
Smith, 43 (dob 6-20-1967), of Fontana; Charles Eric Honest, 41 (dob 12-7-1969), of Los Angeles; and Dewann Wesley White, 32 (dob 6-2-1978), of Bloomington, were charged last month with murdering 31-year-old Maurilio Ponce on Oct. 7, 2008. They were arrested earlier this week.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Blake said Honest appeared in Lancaster Superior Court yesterday and his arraignment was put over until March 17 in Department A01. Smith and White were due in that court for arraignment this afternoon. Bail for Smith and Honest was recommended at $1 million each, while White’s was recommended at $1.05 million.
The defendants are charged with one count of murder. The complaint alleged that Honest also had a prior voluntary manslaughter conviction (YA 023880) in Torrance in 1996.
Blake said Ponce, from Lancaster, was beaten and shot several times before his body was dumped near the Antelope Valley poppy fields about 11 miles west of Lancaster. The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and filed on Feb. 16 as a felony complaint for arrest warrant after investigators presented evidence to Blake.
Smith played professional football with the Raiders between 1991 and 1998. He was living in Marina Del Rey at the time Ponce was killed.
Sandi Gibbons, Public Information Officer
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
Criminal Justice Center
210 W. Temple St., 18th Floor
Los Angeles CA 90012
Phone: 213-974-3528
LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
MEDIA RELATIONS DIVISION
STEVE COOLEY District Attorney JOSEPH SCOTT Director
JOHN K. SPILLANE Chief Deputy District Attorney SANDI GIBBONS P.I.O.
JANE ROBISON News Secretary
SHIARA M. DÁVILA Asst. P.I.O.
18-1112 Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
210 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 974-3525
March 4, 2011
Former NFL defense end, two others charged in Lancaster murder
LANCASTER – Former Raiders defensive end Anthony Wayne Smith and two purported associates have been charged with murdering a 31-year-old man in Lancaster more than two years ago, the District Attorney’s office announced today with the arrest of all three defendants.
Smith, 43 (dob 6-20-1967), of Fontana; Charles Eric Honest, 41 (dob 12-7-1969), of Los Angeles; and Dewann Wesley White, 32 (dob 6-2-1978), of Bloomington, were charged last month with murdering 31-year-old Maurilio Ponce on Oct. 7, 2008. They were arrested earlier this week.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Blake said Honest appeared in Lancaster Superior Court yesterday and his arraignment was put over until March 17 in Department A01. Smith and White were due in that court for arraignment this afternoon. Bail for Smith and Honest was recommended at $1 million each, while White’s was recommended at $1.05 million.
The defendants are charged with one count of murder. The complaint alleged that Honest also had a prior voluntary manslaughter conviction (YA 023880) in Torrance in 1996.
Blake said Ponce, from Lancaster, was beaten and shot several times before his body was dumped near the Antelope Valley poppy fields about 11 miles west of Lancaster. The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and filed on Feb. 16 as a felony complaint for arrest warrant after investigators presented evidence to Blake.
Smith played professional football with the Raiders between 1991 and 1998. He was living in Marina Del Rey at the time Ponce was killed.
Sandi Gibbons, Public Information Officer
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
Criminal Justice Center
210 W. Temple St., 18th Floor
Los Angeles CA 90012
Phone: 213-974-3528
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Dog fighting at residence leads to 17 dogs, arrests, cocaine, & kids taken into protective custody
Dog fighting at residence leads to 17 dogs, arrests, cocaine, & kids taken into protective custody (PHOTOS)
(Click on the hyperlink at the bottom of this message to see PHOTOS)
An alleged dog fighting training operation at a Lake Los Angeles home was shut down today by sheriff’s deputies, and a couple was arrested for training dogs to fight, as well as for possession of cocaine. Their four children were taken into protective custody and seventeen pit bull dogs were recovered by animal control officers.
The dog fighting investigation began when a confidential informant called the LA County 24-hour Dog Fighting Tipline (877-662-3483) to report that people were training dogs for fighting. The tip was reported to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, who relayed the information to deputies in the Antelope Valley so it could be investigated.
Over the next month, Deputies Robert Ferrell and Fred Hill with the Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Bureau, investigated the dog fighting case, working with officers from the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, and Lancaster Sheriff’s Station deputies. The deputies ultimately found sufficient probable cause to be able to obtain a search warrant.
At about 4:30AM Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies from COPS Bureau, Lancaster, and Palmdale Stations, joined by L.A. Co. Animal Control officers and LA Co. Dept. of Children and Family Services, went to the home on the 41000 block of 178th St. East, Lake Los Angeles.
Once there, they found an elaborate dog fighting and training operation.
On the property they found seventeen pit bull dogs, some of which were tied to stakes in the yard. Dried blood was found on a portable wooden fighting ring that was leaning against a wall.
They also found a large amount of medical supplies, including surgical tools and medication, IV saline solution, and syringes to administer medicine and to treat the dogs. Surgical tools and supplies, used to stitch up the dogs after being wounded in fights, were recovered.
Three treadmill type machines, used for the compelled physical conditioning of the dogs, were located. One of them was made of wooden slats.
Training records for the dogs, and study guides on the breeding of dogs and dog fighting were recovered.
All of the dogs were removed from the location by Animal Control officers. Many of the dogs found at the property had injuries.
Approximately one ounce of cocaine was also recovered.
Suspect Jesse Jimenez, 43, and his wife Suspect Yvette Jimenez, 41, were arrested at the residence for felony dog fighting (which includes training dogs to fight) and possession of a controlled substance (cocaine). They were transported and booked at the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Later, during the interview process, both suspects admitted to their roles in the activity.
The dog fighting has apparently been going on in various areas in the Antelope Valley for several years.
Due to the circumstances, the couple’s four children, aged 1, 10, 12, and 14 were taken into protective custody by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
Dog fighting, cock-fighting, and other forms of animal fighting are not a sport, they are a felony. So is animal cruelty.
A conviction for felony animal cruelty can result in a sentence of up to 3 years in prison.
The LA County 24-hour Dog Fighting Tipline (877-NO2FITE or 877-662-3483, is funded in part by the Humane Society of the U.S. Up to $5,000.00 is offered for information that leads to an arrest or conviction of people engaging in the training or fighting of dogs. The identity of callers will remain confidential.
*(See KCAL-TV 9 news coverage of this incident by clicking on the following link. This link is provided for your convenience. The LASD does not endorse products or services)
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/video-news-on-demand/?clipId=5622557&flvUri=&partnerclipid=&topVideoCatNo=193016&c=&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv
*(See LASD photos by clicking on the hyperlink at the bottom of this message)
The Animal Cruelty Education and Training Committee of the Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County (POALAC) was recently formed and has been providing training for peace officers about the unique elements of investigating animal cruelty cases, including dog fighting. The deputies who made this arrest attended this training.
***
Separate case, not related to the above suspects:
COPS Deputies Robert Ferrell and Fred Hill who investigated the above case, are the same deputies who made a similar dog fighting arrest just a few months ago. That arrest resulted in a felony conviction and a five year prison sentence for a Lancaster man a few weeks ago.
*(Read the related Antelope Family News coverage from Oct. 2010 by clicking on the following link. This link is provided for your convenience. The LASD does not endorse products or services)
http://hstrial-avnewstoday.intuitwebsites.com/AVCrimeWatchDogFightingRing.html
October 2010 arrest, February Guilty Plea – Dog Fighting
On Feb. 9, 2011, Amin Uqdah pled guilty to an Oct. 10, 2010 arrest for dog fighting and a later arrest for spousal assault.
Deputies Ferrell and Hill received a phone tip that Uqdah was involved in dog fighting on his property in Lancaster.
They conducted a surveillance and saw activity that led them to believe that dog fighting and training for fighting was occurring at the residence. Having formed sufficient probable cause, the deputies sought and obtained a search warrant.
When the deputies served the search warrant on Oct. 10, 2010, they found two dogs. One of the dogs had fresh fighting wounds, including a through and through puncture wound to its cheek, as well as what appeared to be old fighting scars.
Inside the garage they found a plywood fighting pen, with what appeared to be old blood stains and a dirty piece of carpet. Inside the house, they found three videos that depicted the defendant's dog fighting in his garage, inside the fighting pen they had found. The same piece of carpet was inside the pen. In one of the videos, the defendant's voice could be heard cheering on his dog, "Cash." The gruesome videos showed at least three separate fights where the defendant's dog fought three other dogs. In one of the fights, it appears that the defendant's dog actually kills the other dog.
Some methamphetamine was also found in the home.
About a month later while out on bail from the October 10th arrest, sheriff’s deputies arrested Uqdah for spousal assault and for assaulting his children. In that incident, he was physically assaulting his wife including punching her in the face. When his 14-year old daughter tried to stop him, he picked her up and slammed her to the ground.
The totality of these offenses including the assault on his family and the dog fighting, resulted in Uqdah pleading guilty on Feb. 9, 2011. He was sentenced to five years state prison.
Dog fighting, cock-fighting, and other forms of animal fighting are not a sport, they are a felony. So is animal cruelty.
A conviction for felony animal cruelty can result in a sentence of up to 3 years in prison.
Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local sheriff’s station or police department.
The LA County 24-hour Dog Fighting Tipline (877-NO2FITE or 877-662-3483, is funded in part by the Humane Society of the U.S. Up to $5,000.00 is offered for information that leads to an arrest or conviction of people engaging in the training or fighting of dogs. The identity of callers will remain confidential.
Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau – Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
(323) 267-4800
www.lasd.org
SHBNewsroom@lasd.org
Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
(Click on the hyperlink at the bottom of this message to see PHOTOS)
An alleged dog fighting training operation at a Lake Los Angeles home was shut down today by sheriff’s deputies, and a couple was arrested for training dogs to fight, as well as for possession of cocaine. Their four children were taken into protective custody and seventeen pit bull dogs were recovered by animal control officers.
The dog fighting investigation began when a confidential informant called the LA County 24-hour Dog Fighting Tipline (877-662-3483) to report that people were training dogs for fighting. The tip was reported to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, who relayed the information to deputies in the Antelope Valley so it could be investigated.
Over the next month, Deputies Robert Ferrell and Fred Hill with the Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Bureau, investigated the dog fighting case, working with officers from the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, and Lancaster Sheriff’s Station deputies. The deputies ultimately found sufficient probable cause to be able to obtain a search warrant.
At about 4:30AM Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies from COPS Bureau, Lancaster, and Palmdale Stations, joined by L.A. Co. Animal Control officers and LA Co. Dept. of Children and Family Services, went to the home on the 41000 block of 178th St. East, Lake Los Angeles.
Once there, they found an elaborate dog fighting and training operation.
On the property they found seventeen pit bull dogs, some of which were tied to stakes in the yard. Dried blood was found on a portable wooden fighting ring that was leaning against a wall.
They also found a large amount of medical supplies, including surgical tools and medication, IV saline solution, and syringes to administer medicine and to treat the dogs. Surgical tools and supplies, used to stitch up the dogs after being wounded in fights, were recovered.
Three treadmill type machines, used for the compelled physical conditioning of the dogs, were located. One of them was made of wooden slats.
Training records for the dogs, and study guides on the breeding of dogs and dog fighting were recovered.
All of the dogs were removed from the location by Animal Control officers. Many of the dogs found at the property had injuries.
Approximately one ounce of cocaine was also recovered.
Suspect Jesse Jimenez, 43, and his wife Suspect Yvette Jimenez, 41, were arrested at the residence for felony dog fighting (which includes training dogs to fight) and possession of a controlled substance (cocaine). They were transported and booked at the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Later, during the interview process, both suspects admitted to their roles in the activity.
The dog fighting has apparently been going on in various areas in the Antelope Valley for several years.
Due to the circumstances, the couple’s four children, aged 1, 10, 12, and 14 were taken into protective custody by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
Dog fighting, cock-fighting, and other forms of animal fighting are not a sport, they are a felony. So is animal cruelty.
A conviction for felony animal cruelty can result in a sentence of up to 3 years in prison.
The LA County 24-hour Dog Fighting Tipline (877-NO2FITE or 877-662-3483, is funded in part by the Humane Society of the U.S. Up to $5,000.00 is offered for information that leads to an arrest or conviction of people engaging in the training or fighting of dogs. The identity of callers will remain confidential.
*(See KCAL-TV 9 news coverage of this incident by clicking on the following link. This link is provided for your convenience. The LASD does not endorse products or services)
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/video-news-on-demand/?clipId=5622557&flvUri=&partnerclipid=&topVideoCatNo=193016&c=&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv
*(See LASD photos by clicking on the hyperlink at the bottom of this message)
The Animal Cruelty Education and Training Committee of the Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County (POALAC) was recently formed and has been providing training for peace officers about the unique elements of investigating animal cruelty cases, including dog fighting. The deputies who made this arrest attended this training.
***
Separate case, not related to the above suspects:
COPS Deputies Robert Ferrell and Fred Hill who investigated the above case, are the same deputies who made a similar dog fighting arrest just a few months ago. That arrest resulted in a felony conviction and a five year prison sentence for a Lancaster man a few weeks ago.
*(Read the related Antelope Family News coverage from Oct. 2010 by clicking on the following link. This link is provided for your convenience. The LASD does not endorse products or services)
http://hstrial-avnewstoday.intuitwebsites.com/AVCrimeWatchDogFightingRing.html
October 2010 arrest, February Guilty Plea – Dog Fighting
On Feb. 9, 2011, Amin Uqdah pled guilty to an Oct. 10, 2010 arrest for dog fighting and a later arrest for spousal assault.
Deputies Ferrell and Hill received a phone tip that Uqdah was involved in dog fighting on his property in Lancaster.
They conducted a surveillance and saw activity that led them to believe that dog fighting and training for fighting was occurring at the residence. Having formed sufficient probable cause, the deputies sought and obtained a search warrant.
When the deputies served the search warrant on Oct. 10, 2010, they found two dogs. One of the dogs had fresh fighting wounds, including a through and through puncture wound to its cheek, as well as what appeared to be old fighting scars.
Inside the garage they found a plywood fighting pen, with what appeared to be old blood stains and a dirty piece of carpet. Inside the house, they found three videos that depicted the defendant's dog fighting in his garage, inside the fighting pen they had found. The same piece of carpet was inside the pen. In one of the videos, the defendant's voice could be heard cheering on his dog, "Cash." The gruesome videos showed at least three separate fights where the defendant's dog fought three other dogs. In one of the fights, it appears that the defendant's dog actually kills the other dog.
Some methamphetamine was also found in the home.
About a month later while out on bail from the October 10th arrest, sheriff’s deputies arrested Uqdah for spousal assault and for assaulting his children. In that incident, he was physically assaulting his wife including punching her in the face. When his 14-year old daughter tried to stop him, he picked her up and slammed her to the ground.
The totality of these offenses including the assault on his family and the dog fighting, resulted in Uqdah pleading guilty on Feb. 9, 2011. He was sentenced to five years state prison.
Dog fighting, cock-fighting, and other forms of animal fighting are not a sport, they are a felony. So is animal cruelty.
A conviction for felony animal cruelty can result in a sentence of up to 3 years in prison.
Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local sheriff’s station or police department.
The LA County 24-hour Dog Fighting Tipline (877-NO2FITE or 877-662-3483, is funded in part by the Humane Society of the U.S. Up to $5,000.00 is offered for information that leads to an arrest or conviction of people engaging in the training or fighting of dogs. The identity of callers will remain confidential.
Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau – Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
(323) 267-4800
www.lasd.org
SHBNewsroom@lasd.org
Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
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