REDLANDS: City warns of phony fire inspectors

Beware of phony fire inspectors, Redlands city officials are warning local businesses.
“Recently individuals identifying themselves as fire inspectors have entered local businesses requesting access to private rooms and offices and conducted alleged inspections,” city spokesman Carl Baker said in a written statement. “Once the inspection … is done, the inspector requests immediate payment from a business owner or, in some cases, sends an invoice to be returned with payment to a post office box.”
To spot a phony, officials say:
Look for a uniform, badge and fire engine. Most legitimate fire inspectors wear a blue uniform with a fire department patch on the left shoulder and a metal badge above the left pocket. Fire personnel always arrive in a fire engine, paramedic squad or city vehicle with a logo on the door – not a private car.
Be suspicious of anyone who requests or collects money. Redlands Fire Department conducts annual business inspections, but the owners are billed. And the bills are sent on city or department letterhead.
Legitimate inspectors sometimes make unannounced visits. But they all carry a city-issued photo identification card. And no on-duty fire personnel will conduct any repair, service, or changes to fire extinguishers or other fire protection equipment. Such work must be done by licensed persons who’ve been hired or entered into a contract with the business owner and should never show up unannounced.
If in doubt, call the Redlands fire Department at 909-798-7600.

 

PERRIS: Man charged in Salvation Army robbery

A 22-year-old Menifee man has been charged with robbing a Perris Salvation Army thrift store employee who was on her way to the bank to deposit $7,000, authorities said.

Brian Keith Fouse pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning to robbery, court records show.

A warrant for his arrest in the Dec. 3 incident was issued earlier this month and Fouse was arrested over the weekend, according to court records.

Riverside County sheriff’s officials said Fouse was one of two men in hooded sweatshirts who accosted the employee as she approached the door to a Bank of America in Perris. The men grabbed her and snatched her purse, knocking her to the ground in the process, according to an investigator’s statement in support of a search warrant.

The men ran away, but a witness followed one of them and later identified Fouse as the person she saw, court records stated.

Deputies detained Fouse near the bank but the other man, as well as the purse containing the $7,000 cash, were not found.

The theft raised the suspicions of deputies, who suspected the robbers might have known ahead of time that the woman was carrying a large sum and targeted her.

The deposit that day was larger than usual, Salvation Army employees told investigators, according to court documents. Usually, the deposits didn’t exceed $1,500, but Dec. 2 was an exceptionally busy sales day, the employees said.

The employee who was robbed said she left to make the deposit about an hour earlier than normal, court records stated. She told another employee where she was going as she left the Orange Avenue store, then drove directly to the bank branch at 181 E. 4th St., the woman told deputies.

Investigators also learned from The Salvation Army that another $4,000 had been stolen from the store safe when it had been left unlocked a few months before the robbery, according to court records.

Sgt. Lisa McConnell said detectives investigated the possibility that the robbers knew someone with ties to the store but were unable to make such a connection.

Fouse was being held at the Southwest Detention Center with bail set at $30,000, jail records show.

 

RIVERSIDE: Trial on track for man accused of slaying Riverside officer

The capital murder case for the man accused of slaying Riverside Police officer Ryan Bonaminio remains on schedule to begin next month, with attorneys today discussing procedures, including jury selection and court room security, leading up to the trial of Earl Ellis Green.

Green, 46, has pleaded not guilty in the Nov. 7, 2010 beating and shooting death of Bonaminio during a foot chase along the edge of Riverside’s Fairmount Park. Jury selection is set to begin on April 9, with hearings scheduled for three days beginning April 4 to handle any new motions. None had been filed as of today. Green could face the death penalty if convicted on the murder charge.

During the hearing today before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jean P. Leonard, the courtroom bailiff and a sheriff’s sergeant discussed possible security issues during the trial of Green, a Rubidoux parolee with a long record of convictions who has been in custody since a few days after Bonaminio was slain.

While there were no specific incidents to cite, Green has had to be talked to a few times about his possible behavior in court, the bailiff said.

One issue that could arise is keeping jurors from seeing the defendant restrained during trial, although there are devices that can be concealed from the panel’s view either by clothing or the counsel table. Defendants wearing shackles are brought into court and seated before jurors enter the room.

Green will be “dressed out” for trial, meaning he will not have to appear before jurors in his jail scrubs. Male in-custody defendants almost always wear a suit and tie.

Prosecution and defense attorneys agreed to meet with the bailiff and his sergeant to go over any concerns. If prosecutors decide to file any motions regarding Green and restraints, they will have to do it by a March 29 deadline, Leonard said.

Prospective jurors will be given questionnaires to start their possible service on the highly publicized case. Several court days have been set aside for the process, including questioning. The first elimination of prospective panelists will be those who cannot attend the entire trial, estimated by counsel at 2-1/2 to 3 months.

The night of the slaying, Bonaminio pulled a driver over as a suspect in a hit-and-run accident involving a tractor-trailer rig. The stop was on Market Street, which borders the east side of Fairmount Park.

A man prosecutors say was Green jumped out of the truck’s cab and ran toward the park. Bonaminio chased the man on foot, a scene captured by the dashboard camera in Bonaminio’s patrol car.

Bonaminio slipped and fell on wet pavement while chasing the man, who turned on the officer and used a short metal bar to beat him. The man then shot Bonaminio, a witness said at Green’s preliminary hearing.

Testimony indicated the officer’s service handgun was used in the shooting.

 

Arrests of ex-Coliseum officials bring condemnation, anger

The arrests Thursday of two former Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum executives and the chief executive of a rave company met with swift reaction from local leaders and attorneys for the suspects.

“Today’s events were predictable.” said CIty Councilman Bernard C. Parks, a member of the Coliseum Commission. “But it’s a horribly unfortunate situation for the city and this historic facility.”

L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe said he was not surprised by the arrests.

“It’s the end game,” he said, “if what we turned over was true.”

The charges were not immediately disclosed. The executives have been the subject of multiple local, state and federal investigations over their financial activities.

Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, said authorities arrested Patrick Lynch, the former longtime general manager of the Coliseum and the companion Sports Arena, at his home in Torrance. Todd DeStefano, former events manager at the Coliseum, was arrested at his friend’s home in Venice. Authorities also arrested Reza Gerami, chief executive of the rave promotion company Go Ventures, at his home in Malibu.

The Coliseum has been embroiled in scandal for more than a year since The Times began reporting on questionable financial activity.

The Coliseum had become mired in conflicts of interest, spending irregularities and loose accounting that eroded its fiscal foundation and had all but bankrupted its future as one of the nation’s most-storied public landmarks.

Lynch resigned in February 2011 after The Times began a series of reports on the Coliseum’s finances. He and DeStefano, who quit shortly before the first story appeared, have been the subjects of a criminal investigation by county prosecutors involving alleged kickbacks and self-dealing. State regulators and the Los Angeles city controller’s office have also launched inquiries.

Three other Coliseum managers and employees have gone on leave or left the stadium’s employment after The Times’ investigation questioned the propriety of their financial dealings. All have denied wrongdoing.

DeStefano’s attorney, Richard G. Hirsch, said in a statement that his client had permission from Lynch, his supervisor, to work on the side with the Coliseum promoters. Hirsch blamed the Coliseum Commission for the stadium’s financial woes.

“Todd DeStefano did exactly what Coliseum commissioners asked and expected him to do –- make the Coliseum and Sports Arena a profitable enterprise,” the attorney added. “Rather than owning up to their failure to manage the Coliseum, a group of commissioners with the help of the district attorney are trying to turn attention away from their own mismanagement by manipulating the facts to support unfounded criminal charges against Mr. DeStefano.”

Lynch’s attorney, Tony Capozzola, said his client is innocent. “I’m not aware of all of the charges they intend to file,” he said. “But I have been providing information to the district attorney’s office that I believe conclusively proves that Pat Lynch did not profit illegally from any event ever hosted at the Coliseum.”

Officials reacted with disappointment about the allegations.

“It’s disappointing that these officials would betray the trust of the public,” said County Supervisor Michael Antonovich.

He called the rave group an “uncontrollable organization that was a detriment to the community” and that lacked proper oversight and was motivated by greed.

“I have confidence the district attorney will pursue this case,” he said.

RELATED:

Coliseum manager resigns amid rave controversy

Coliseum Commission again meets behind closed doors on USC deal

Coliseum Commission sues former managers, saying they ‘siphoned’ money

 

Authorities identify man killed by LAPD in Shadow Hills

A man killed in an officer-involved shooting in Shadow Hills was identified Thursday as 30-year-old Garmik Kirakosian, according to the L.A. County coroner’s office.

Kirakosian was shot about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday after allegedly robbing a tobacco shop, shooting an employee and carjacking a woman, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police shot him after he pointed a weapon at them, according to preliminary reports by the LAPD. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

 

Man videotaped others in Cypress College bathroom, police say

A man arrested for videotaping another man in a Cypress College bathroom stall has admitted to committing the same crime 15 times, and police are looking for more victims.

Authorities say the victim of the Tuesday taping entered a stall just after 3 p.m. and saw a hand come underneath the partition and point a cellphone camera at him in while he remained undressed.

Cypress Police Officer Paulo Morales said the victim then shouted at 19-year-old Johnny Nguyen of Stanton, left his own stall and detained Nguyen until authorities arrived.

“Information found on the camera indicates he videotaped at least two other victims on the same day,” Morales said.

Once detained, Nguyen admitted to committing the same crime 15 other times in the last 12 months, all within various men’s restrooms at Cypress College.

Authorities arrested Nguyen for a single misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. He was booked at the Cypress city jail and released with a citation.

Morales says the suspect faces up to a year in jail. He is due back in court for arraignment May 2.

The Cypress Police Department is asking anyone who has information on this incident or believes they are a victim to contact detectives at (714) 229-6631.

 

Adelanto man cuts off his hand with a kitchen knife

A 47-year-old man in San Bernardino County cut off his hand with a kitchen knife, sheriff’s officials said Thursday.

The Sheriff’s Department received a call from a neighbor just after 2 p.m. Wednesday on Montezuma Street in Adelanto.

“He indeed completely severed his hand,” said spokeswoman Cindy Bachman.

The man, whose name was not released, was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center. It was unclear if drugs or alcohol were involved.

 

Cruise ship leaves men arrested for sex on Caribbean island

Two California men arrested for having sex in a Caribbean country were left there Thursday to face charges that could land them up to six months in jail, the Associated Press reports.

The men, identified by Dominica police as John Robert Hart, 41, and Dennis Jay Mayer, 43, were allegedly seen having sex on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship by someone on the dock. In Dominica, sex between two males is illegal.

The ship, run by Celebrity Cruises, left for St. Barts without the men, who have been charged with indecent exposure, according to the AP report.

A spokesman for the Dominica police confirmed Thursday that arrests had been made involving passengers on the cruise ship but referred all questions to Chief Cyril Carette, who was not immediately available for comment.

The hometowns of the arrested men were not released.West Hollywood-based Atlantis Events specializes in gay travel and organized the cruise to Dominica. Company representatives directed questions to President Rich Campbell, who is on the cruise and did not immediately return multiple calls to his cellphone.

Celebrity Cruises spokeswoman Elizabeth Jakeway referred all questions to Campbell.

Reached by email Wednesday, Campbell told the AP the company has organized many trips to Dominica and would “happily return.”

“Many countries and municipalities that gay men visit and live in have antiquated laws on their books,” he said. “These statutes don’t pose a concern to us in planning a tourist visit.”

 

Marine sergeant faces dismissal for criticizing President Obama

A 26-year-old sergeant and Iraq veteran is in the process of being dismissed from the Marine Corps after making “political statements” about the commander-in-chief on Facebook.

Such comments are considered detrimental to “good order and discipline” under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Gary Stein, a nine-year veteran, put comments on the Armed Forces Tea Party page that said he would not follow unlawful orders from President Obama, such as killing Americans or taking guns away from Americans.

He also criticized comments made by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about Syria.

Stein had hoped to reenlist in the Marine Corps. Instead he appears headed for dismissal before the end of his enlistment in July. He may also be demoted.

Military law prohibits uniformed personnel from making comments critical of their chain of command, including the commander-in-chief, or engaging in political activity in a context that suggests they are acting as military members.

An investigation into Stein’s comments was ordered March 8 by the commanding officer of the weapons and field training battalion at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.On Wednesday, the Marine Corps announced that rather than file charges against Stein, the matter is being handled “through administrative action.”

Stein, who is married and the father of a 4-year-old daughter, told the Associated Press he plans to fight the Marine Corps’ intention to dismiss him.

“I’m completely shocked that this is happening,” he said. “I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve only stated what our oath states: That I will defend the Constitution and that I will not follow unlawful orders. If that’s a crime, what is America coming to?”

Stein, a weather specialist assigned to Camp Pendleton, had come to the attention of his superiors two years ago for using the Internet to criticize Obama’s healthcare proposal. At that time, he offered to take down the comments.

His most recent postings came during a Facebook discussion about events in Afghanistan. In one posting, he said he believes that military personnel should be allowed to express their political opinions because they are required to risk their lives to advance political objectives.

When Stein’s comments became public and he gave several media interviews, he was disavowed by the Marine Corps.

“Statements made by Sgt. Gary Stein during recent media interviews are not supported or endorsed by the United States Marine Corps,” said a statement issued from Marine headquarters.

 

Pot charges for pilot who breached Obama air space

LONG BEACH – A man who flew into restricted air space during President Barack Obama’s visit to Orange and Los Angeles counties last month has been charged with possession of marijuana and transporting it for sale.

Brian Choppin, 43, was forced to land his Cessna after his plane was intercepted by Air Force F-16 fighter jets on Feb. 16 because it entered the same Los Angeles airspace as Obama’s helicopter.

People holding signs line Pacific Coast Highway in the Corona del Mar section of Newport Beach last month as they wait for President Obama to arrive for a fundraiser at a private residence.

Pilots were told that during Obama’s visit they were not to come within eight miles of Los Angeles International Airport.

Obama was on his way back to L.A. following a breakfast fund-raiser at a private home in Corona del Mar when Choppin’s plane was intercepted. When Long Beach police search the plane, they found 40 pounds of marijuana aboard.

Choppin was arraigned Wednesday in Long Beach and released on his own recognizance. It is not clear whether he entered a plea.

The Secret Service says Obama was never in danger.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.