LASD Receives State Grant to Form S.A.F.E. Team

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Leroy D. Baca, was awarded a grant from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) to form and fund a Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Team.

The team will be used to investigate and monitor the approximately 15,000 registered sex offenders residing in Los Angeles County. The SAFE Team will also work with other Police Agencies to locate and apprehend the nearly 5,000 sex offenders currently out of compliance within the county.The Los Angeles County Regional SAFE Team will be under the command of the Captain of the Special Victims Bureau and will consist of: a Sheriff’s lieutenant, a Sheriff’s sergeant, four Sheriff’s detectives, and one professional staff member.

 The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles County Probation Department, and the California State Parole Department have all joined this team by providing a District Attorney, a Probation officer, and a Parole agent. 

The L.A. County Regional SAFE Team will work with our local Sheriff’s Station detectives, who are currently monitoring the sex offenders within their station’s geographic areas. The Team will strive to enhance public safety by establishing large-scale compliance sweeps to apprehend the non-compliant offenders and surveillance operations to ensure that the most violent of the offenders are not actively involved in repeat offenses. The team will also organize public meetings to educate the public on Megan’s Law and expose them to other resources to protect them from sexual assault.

The SAFE Team will also provide training to educate the public on Megan’s law and how to protect themselves from sexual assault.Member’s of the SAFE Team will be available for interviews with members of the media on Thursday, March 1, 2007 at the STARS Center between 0800 and 1400 hours. The Special Victims Bureau can be reached at (562) 946-8531.

Sheriff Lee Baca To Preside Over Graduation Ceremony Of Academy Class #355

ON THURSDAY, MARCH 1, AT 6:00 P.M., SHERIFF BACA WILL BE JOINED BY THE POLICE CHIEFS FROM THE INGLEWOOD, LOS ANGELES PORT, POMONA, REDONDO BEACH, AND TORRANCE POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN PRESENTING DIPLOMAS TO 90 GRADUATES OF ACADEMY CLASS #355.

THERE WILL BE A BADGE-PINNING CEREMONY, WITH THE NEW DEPUTIES AND OFFICERS RECEIVING THEIR BADGES FROM A FAMILY MEMBER OR LOVED ONE.

THE CEREMONY WILL BE HELD AT THE PASADENA CIVIC AUDITORIUM AT 300 EAST GREEN STREET, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91101. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT THE SHERIFF’S HEADQUARTERS BUREAU AT (323) 526-5541.

Paris Hilton Cited For Vehicle Violation

ON FEBRUARY 27, 2007 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 PM, DEPUTIES FROM WEST HOLLYWOOD STATION OBSERVED A VEHICLE SPEEDING WESTBOUND  SUNSET BOULEVARD WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED.  DEPUTIES INITIATED A TRAFFIC STOP ON THE VEHICLE AND CONTACTED THE DRIVER (PARIS HILTON).  AFTER INVESTIGATING HER LICENSE STATUS, IT WAS DETERMINED MS. HILTON WAS DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE.  MS. HILTON WAS CITED FOR THE SUSPENDED LICENSE VIOLATION AND RELEASED IN THE FIELD.   MS. HILTON’S 2007 BLUE BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GTC WAS ALSO IMPOUNDED.

SERGEANT DUANE ALLEN

Sheriff Baca Welcomes Russian Delegation

WHO: SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT; PNINA LEVERMORE, BAY AREA COUNCIL FOR JEWISH RESCUE AND RENEWAL; AND A DELEGATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS FROM RUSSIA.

WHAT: SHERIFF BACA WELCOMES THE ARRIVAL OF A DELEGATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROFESSIONALS FROM RUSSIA. SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN CALIFORNIA WILL PROVIDE TRAINING IN HATE CRIME SUPPRESSION AND COMMUNITY POLICING METHODS. THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR EXPERTISE IN HUMAN RELATIONS AND COMMUNITY POLICING WITH THE RUSSIAN DELEGATION, WHO IS EXPERIENCING A NUMBER OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007, AT 9:00 A.M.WHERE: LOS ANGELES CITY HALL200 NORTH MAIN STREET, ROOM 1035LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90012

(THOMAS GUIDE PAGE 634, G-3)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT DEPUTY SUZANNE FERRELL, FIELD OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES UNIT, AT (323) 526-5760.

Man Shot in El Monte – Update

SHERIFF’S HOMICIDE DETECTIVES ARE CONTINUING THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES  SURROUNDING THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A MAN WHICH OCCURRED ON THE 4500 BLOCK OF ARDEN DRIVE, EL MONTE, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:38 PM, ON FEBRUARY 26, 2007.

THE VICTIM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS RAY MOSS, MW/41, A RESIDENT OF EL MONTE.

DETECTIVES HAVE LEARNED THAT OFFICERS FROM EL MONTE POLICE DEPARTMENT, RESPONDED TO THE LOCATION REGARDING A “SHOTS FIRED” CALL.  WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY FOUND THE VICTIM WITH SEVERAL GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO THE HEAD.  THE VICTIM WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD.

THERE IS NO FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

DEPUTY OSCAR BUTAO

Man Shot in Paramount – update

SHERIFF’S HOMICIDE DETECTIVES ARE CONTINUING THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES  SURROUNDING THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A MAN WHICH OCCURRED ON THE INTERSECTION OF OLANDA STREET AND CENTURY BOULEVARD, PARAMOUNT, AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 A.M. ON FEBRUARY 27, 2007.

THE VICTIM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS FRANK MELENDEZ, MH/47, A RESIDENT OF PARAMOUNT.

DETECTIVES HAVE LEARNED THAT DEPUTIES  RESPONDED TO THE LOCATION REGARDING A “SHOTS FIRED” CALL.  WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY DISCOVERED THE VICTIM LAYING ON THE STREET WITH SEVERAL GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO HIS UPPER BODY.  THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

THE VICTIM APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN RIDING HIS BICYCLE WHEN THE SHOOTING OCCURRED.  THE INCIDENT IS BEING INVESTIGATED AS A GANG RELATED SHOOTING.

ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL THE SHERIFF’S HOMICIDE BUREAU AT (323) 890-5500.

DEPUTY OSCAR BUTAO

Man Shot in Paramount

SHERIFF’S HOMICIDE DETECTIVES ARE EN ROUTE TO OLANDA STREET AND CENTURY BOULEVARD,  PARAMOUNT, TO INVESTIGATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A MAN THAT OCCURRED AT 9:30 A.M. THIS MORNING.

THERE IS NO FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

 DEPUTY OSCAR BUTAO

Man Shot in El Monte

SHERIFF’S HOMICIDE DETECTIVES ARE EN ROUTE TO THE 4500 BLOCK OF ARDEN DRIVE, EL MONTE, TO ASSIST EL MONTE POLICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL INVESTIGATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF A MALE ADULT.

THE VICTIM WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD.

THERE IS NO FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

SERGEANT DUANE ALLEN

Pomona Officer Involved in Shooting – UPDATE

SHERIFF HOMICIDE DETECTIVES ARE CONTINUING THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO AN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING THAT OCCURRED IN THE 600 BLOCK OF NORTH GORDON STREET, POMONA, SHORTLY AFTER 10 A.M. ON FEBRUARY 26, 2007.

DETECTIVES HAVE LEARNED THAT AN OFFICER FROM THE POMONA POLICE DEPARTMENT, RESPONDED TO THE LOCATION REGARDING A CALL OF  TWO  MEN WHO WERE TRYING TO SELL ELECTRONIC MERCHANDISE FROM THEIR VEHICLE.

WHEN THE OFFICER ARRIVED,  HE SAW THE TWO MALES, SITTING IN A PARKED VEHICLE.  THE OFFICER APPROACHED THE VEHICLE AND ORDERED  BOTH OCCUPANTS OUT OF THE VEHICLE.  THE OFFICER PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT A PAT DOWN SEARCH OF ONE OF THE SUSPECTS, WHEN A CALL CAME OUT OVER HIS HAND HELD RADIO, INDICATING THAT THE SUSPECT VEHICLE WAS REPORTED STOLEN.

AT THAT TIME, BOTH SUSPECTS RAN FROM THE OFFICER.  WHEN THE OFFICER ATTEMPTED TO DETAIN ONE OF THE FLEEING SUSPECTS,  A FIGHT ENSUED.  DURING THE ALTERCATION, ONE ROUND WAS FIRED FROM THE OFFICERS DUTY WEAPON, STRIKING THE SUSPECT IN THE UPPER TORSO.

PARAMEDICS WERE CALLED AND THE SUSPECT WAS TRANSPORTED TO AN AREA HOSPITAL WERE HE IS LISTED IN “GUARDED” CONDITION.

THE OFFICER WAS NOT INJURED DURING THE INCIDENT.

POMONA POLICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL CONDUCTED A SEARCH FOR THE SECOND SUSPECT BUT WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE HIM.

OFFICERS ALSO CONDUCTED A SEARCH OF THE SUSPECT VEHICLE AND FOUND ELECTRONIC MERCHANDISE INSIDE.  IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE MERCHANDISE FOUND WAS REPORTED STOLEN.

THERE IS NO FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

DEPUTY ANTHONY MOORE

Pomona Officer Involved in Shooting

SHERIFF’S HOMICIDE DETECTIVES ARE EN ROUTE TO THE 600 BLOCK OF NORTH GORDON STREET, POMONA, TO ASSIST POMONA POLICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL INVESTIGATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING THAT OCCURRED THIS MORNING AT 10:25 A.M..

NO OFFICERS WERE INJURED, ONE SUSPECT WAS WOUNDED.

THERE IS NO FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

DEPUTY ED HERNANDEZ