Author: Shelby Grad

A Laguna Niguel man was charged with being one of Orange County’s most prolific bank robbers, known as the Blue Note Bandit.

David Camp, 50, was charged Monday with 14 felony counts of robbery. He pleaded not guilty.

Most of the robberies have occurred at banks in Orange County, including the robber’s target last  Tuesday: a Home Savings of America branch on Moulton Parkway in Laguna Woods.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect walked up to a teller with a note demanding money. It is unclear how much money he made away with.

He was given the "blue note" moniker by authorities because he submitted some of the notes to tellers on blue paper.

Neighbors said between 50 to 75 law enforcement officials swarmed the suspect’s home in the 23000 block of Porpoise Cove in Laguna Niguel last Wednesday evening. 

If convicted, he faces 18 years in prison. 

According to the Orange County Register, Camp was unemployed, had severe debts and struggled with drug problems. He had worked as a salesman and was trying to support a wife and two children, authorities said.

— Shelby Grad

A home invasion robbery over the weekend at a
Woodland Hills house used by a rap record label offers a window into a way record executives house their artists.

According to a veteran music publicist who declined
to be identified, urban music labels have a long-implemented policy of
renting out condominiums or houses for visiting rappers and singers.

Such costs are typically covered by an artist’s
recording budget in
an effort to avoid paying sky-high hotel premiums.

“If you have someone stay at a hotel for a week, it’s
three grand,” the publicist said. “You save a lot of money if you rent
out a house and have everyone — the producers and the artists — stay
there. It makes total sense."

In this case, officials said the Woodland Hills home targeted by the robbers was a temporary
residence for visiting recording artists.

Law enforcement sources familiar with the
investigation told The Times that there had been numerous calls from neighbors for
complaints including loud noise and parking violations. The sources spoke on the condition that they not be named because it was an ongoing investigation.

Officers went to the home in the 22100 block of Mulholland Drive
about 1 a.m. Sunday after a report that two men and two women broke
into the home during what was described as a "party or gathering."

According to police, two suspects pulled out weapons and
pistol-whipped some of the guests. The suspects fled after stealing an
unspecified amount of money and jewelry.

More than a dozen people were victims of and/or witnessed the crime,
but police said they were uncooperative. Police did not immediately
identify the rap label that owns the home.

Police are still searching for the robbers.

— Chris Lee and Andrew Blankstein

Photo: KTLA

More breaking news in L.A. Now: 

CHP investigates fatal big-rig accident on 710 Freeway in East L.A.

Michael Jackson fans line up at Disneyland for return of ‘Captain EO’

Pre-dawn vigil at LAUSD headquarters

Unemployed father with many debts charged with 14 O.C. bank robberies

West Hollywood approves mixed-use development

Fatal accident shuts down northbound 710 freeway near Bell Gardens

Man brought to L.A. to face charges in Cambodian sex case

L.A. police seek leads on ‘dressed for success’ robber

Santa Monica count shows drop in homelessness

 Santa Monica authorities stepped up their search this morning for a serial arsonist who has struck at least six times in the last month.

The fires involved parked vehicles, shrubbery and trash bins. From Feb. 12 to Monday, the incidents were reported within a two-block radius on 2nd and 3rd streets and Washington Avenue. 

Police have stepped up patrols in the area, and the Santa Monica Arson Task Force is heading the investigation.

Anyone with information about those or other arson incidents should call Det. William Heric at (310) 458-8410, Sgt. Jay Trisler at (310) 458-8471 or the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8495. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call the WeTip hotline at (800) 472-7766. 

Callers might be eligible for a reward if their information leads to an arrest and conviction.

–Martha Groves

KNBC-TV Channel 4 has canceled “Midday Report,” its 11 a.m. newscast
anchored by Kim Baldonado, and is running repeats of “Access
Hollywood” in its place. The newscast, which aired for the last time
Feb. 12, “was taken off the schedule in order to reallocate resources,”
according to KNBC spokeswoman Erin Dittman.

Baldonado, who has won awards for her coverage of education and
homelessness, will continue as a general assignment reporter for the
station. She took over “Midday Report” in July after serving as a
weekend anchor.

Read the full story at Showtracker, The Times’ TV blog.

Photo: KNBC

A vicious dog attack in Echo Park is prompting some dog owners to arm themselves.

Jenny Burman, who watches Echo Park on the Chicken Corner blog, reports that a small dog was recently attacked by a pit bull in the neighborhood. The attack highlights growing concerns by some about dangerous pit bulls in Echo Park, she said, and it’s caused an extreme response on the Web.

"The attack quickly led to an extended song of fear on the list serv: Dog owners who fear for their safety and the safety of their dogs. One woman says she has a .22 and is considering bringing it with her to the park so that she can shoot a dangerous dog if it tries to attack one of her four dogs," Burman wrote. "Another woman says she already carries a stun wand. Someone asked where to get one. At least two maybe three say they pack pepper spray, but one person says it’s hard to use."

Read more here

Here are some other interesting L.A. reads on the Web today: 

SANTA MONICA GROWTH WARS: There’s another push in Santa Monica to reduce development, at least temporarily. From the Argonaut: "Due to the impending review of the environmental impact report on Santa Monica’s future land use guidelines, City Councilman Kevin McKeown will be asking his council colleagues to place a “temporary hold” on all development agreements, including the massive mixed-use complex planned near Bergamot Station."

DENNY’S COMES TO EAST L.A.: There’s a lot of excitement as the Eastside nabs a sit-down chain eatery, according to Eastside L.A.: "It is one of the few sit-down, chain restaurants to operate in unincorporated East Los Angeles, which is still dominated by mom-and pop taquerias and independent restaurants. The last real estate boom saw the arrival of other major restaurant and coffee house chains that have brought a suburban flavor to parts of East Los Angeles, including a Starbucks on Third Street and a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Mednik."

Have some news for Linking L.A.? Contact Times reporter Anthony Pesce at [email protected].

"I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying this doesn’t create any new jobs," Schwarzenegger said on ABC’s "This Week." "And then they go out and they do the photo ops and they are posing with the big check and they say, ‘Isn’t this great? Look what kind of money I provide here for the state.’ … It doesn’t match up."

The Times’ Michael Rothfeld also reports that the governor dismissed the "tea party" movement as "just an expression of anger and dissatisfaction." Schwarzenegger has a private meeting with President Obama scheduled for Monday, in which he is expected to seek more federal aid for California.

What do you think of the governor’s comment? Share your comments below.

Photo: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on ABC’s "This Week." Credit: Associated Press

Follow the twists and turns of California politics on The Times’ blog, PolitiCal.

Glendale could finally put to rest a long-simmering controversy concerning "CSI Miami" actress Eva La Rue and her illegal gate.

As the City Council looks to finalize its decision forcing La Rue to remove the illegally built gate in front of her north Glendale home, Councilman Ara Najarian is looking to avoid future controversy by clarifying the city’s appeals process.

The council on Tuesday will consider a motion officially denying La Rue’s appeal of a Planning Commission denial of a zoning exception based on public safety needs, after the council voted 4 to 1 last week to uphold the commission’s decision.

The appeal centered on the wood gate La Rue’s built in front of her Cordova Avenue home, which she said guarded her and her daughter from an alleged stalker

After La Rue was cited by city code enforcement officials for the gate, which was built too close to the public right-of-way, a zoning administrator granted the actress a variance, according to the Glendale News Press. That move generated discontent from neighbors and homeowners groups, and, after an inquiry from Planning Director Hassan Haghani, the case made its way to the Planning Commission and eventually the City Council, which ruled against La Rue.

Though the specific case will be resolved, the council debate may not be over; Najarian, who cast the sole dissenting vote, successfully placed a discussion of the appeals process on a coming council agenda.

— Melanie Hicken, Glendale News Press

Photo: AP

After a six-year legal battle with the California Coastal Commission,
the fate of a retired Corona del Mar couple’s beachfront picnic spot
and thatched palapa lies with California’s 4th District Court of Appeal.

A Santa Ana courthouse was packed with supporters of Ocean Boulevard
residents George and Sharlee McNamee on Thursday as a three-judge panel
heard arguments in the couple’s case, which has grown from a
squabble over a barbecue and some picnic tables into a fight between
the rights of private property owners versus the public’s access to the
beach.

“I’d really lose a lot of respect for the court if they
rule against them,” said Hank Reuter, 14, the McNamees’ grandson, who
attended the hearing with his family, wearing his Boy Scout uniform. “It
should be up to you what you want to do with your private property."

The Coastal Commission ordered the McNamees to tear down their beach oasis
in 2004. Set on a private portion of beach at the base of a cliff above
Corona del Mar State Beach, the McNamees’ patch of sand includes two
picnic tables, a shower and bathroom, storage lockers, a built-in
barbecue, palapa and some flowering plants. The commission ruled that
the amenities are not a coastal development and that the improvements
mislead beachgoers into thinking that the entire beach is private.

Read the full story here.

— Brianna Bailey, from the Daily Pilot

The Anaheim Police Department is seeking the public’s help to identify other potential victims of a 33-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl he met on social networking
site MySpace.





Matthew Casteneda was arrested Friday and booked on lewd and lascivious behavior with a child under the age of 14. His alleged victim was found at an Anaheim hotel, just outside Disneyland, about
two and a half hours after being reported missing in Santa Ana on
Wednesday.





Investigators say the girl told officers she had been sexually assaulted by a man she met through MySpace, according to KTLA News.

"They met at South Coast Plaza and took a bus up to Anaheim, where he
took her to a hotel and sexually assaulted her," Santa Ana Police
Cpl. Anthony Bertagna told KTLA News.

According to police, Casteneda is missing a front tooth, has a pierced left ear and has multiple tattoos: a "13” on his stomach, "CF" behind his
left ear, "Calle Flores" on his right arm and back, "Romona" on his right
shoulder and "MC" on his left shoulder.

Anyone with more information is asked to call Anaheim police at (714) 497-6608 or (714) 765-1958.

— Shelby Grad

At least 11 Los Angeles County juvenile probation officers have been
convicted of crimes or disciplined in recent years for inappropriate
conduct involving current or former probationers, including several
cases of molesting or beating youths in their care, a Times
investigation has found.

Additionally, two other officers are the focus of internal affairs investigations for allegedly having sex with probationers.

The Times identified the cases through court documents, law enforcement
records and department sources. Probation officials said they were
prohibited by law from discussing the details of officers’ misconduct.

Among the incidents:

* A probation officer had sex with three youths in the detention hall
where she worked — in laundry, supply and interview rooms. She was
sentenced last year to four years in prison after pleading guilty to
five counts of felony sexual abuse.

* A probation officer caught on tape beating a youth in a juvenile hall
recreation room was convicted last year of battery and sentenced to 24
months’ probation.

* A probation officer was sentenced to a year in jail last year for
directing five teenagers under her care to beat another youngster who
she mistakenly believed had stolen her cellphone.

Read the full story here.

There is a new move in Sacramento to exempt county jails from an early-release law designed to ease overcrowding at state prisons.

More than 2,000 inmates have been released from county jails in the last month in response to the law, a Times review has found.

There has been much debate about whether the law applies to county
jails. This week California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown sent a bulletin to
local law enforcement agencies saying the law does cover county jail
inmates. The bulletin said some counties miscalculated the release
times of some inmates, but it did not recommend stopping early releases.

The legislation was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year.

Officials have said that over the next year it would reduce the prison
population by releasing 6,500 "low-level" offenders, including inmates
incarcerated for nonviolent crimes such as theft and drug possession.
The state prison system has not yet released prisoners early under the
terms of the law.

On
Thursday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Steven Perk blocked an
immediate attempt by the union representing Orange County sheriff’s
deputies to temporarily prevent early releases there, where more than
400 have occurred since the law took effect Jan. 25.

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, an author of the original law, filed amendments Friday aimed at clarifying that the law only applies to state prison. As currently written, most counties have concluded it also applies to their jails. The one major exception has been L.A. County, which has not released any inmates early in response to the law.

 "There’s some chaos out there," Torrico told the Associated Press. "I can’t imagine anyone is going to oppose this. We’re talking about public safety."

— Shelby Grad and Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Inmate at Kern Valley State Prison. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

More news in L.A. Now:

Pelicans eat through bird-rescue group’s budget

Manhunt underway for driver who fatally struck 19-year-old man in San Bernardino

Evacuation orders lifted in La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge

New push to exempt California’s county jails from inmate-release law

L.A. police warns against dangers of angel’s trumpet as Los Feliz teens get sick

First storm moves through L.A.; second expected Sunday

The first of two weekend storms moved through Southern California overnight with few reported problems.

The storm dropped about 0.14 of an inch of rain in downtown L.A. and about 0.2 in Santa Monica. Evacuation orders remained in effect in some foothill areas prone to mudslides.

The next storm is expected to arrived Sunday evening. Rains will continue into Monday morning,

The storms were projected to bring about half an inch of rain to the
coast and valley regions and up to 8 inches of snow to the mountains.
There is also a high surf advisory all day Saturday and a winter
weather advisory through Saturday morning.

Mountain roads in the Angeles National Forest remain closed.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation has ordered the closure
of Mulholland Drive in both directions between Bowmont and
Skyline drives because of roadway damage.

Officials say the rain from this weekend’s storms could further undermine the road.

— Shelby Grad

Photo: After overnight rain, motorists on Highway 2 in Glendale were treated to bright, sunny skies with a clear view of the downtown Los Angeles skyline Saturday morning. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

More news in L.A. Now:

Pelicans eat through bird-rescue group’s budget

Manhunt underway for driver who fatally struck 19-year-old man in San Bernardino

Evacuation orders lifted in La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge

New push to exempt California’s county jails from inmate-release law

L.A. police warns against dangers of angel’s trumpet as Los Feliz teens get sick

First storm moves through L.A.; second expected Sunday

The parents of a 2-year-old girl who starved to death in 2008 were convicted this week of child abuse and sentenced to prison.

Isabel Garcia died two months after Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services officials deemed that she, her five siblings and their parents, Gabriel Garcia and Lupe Lopez, were all doing well during a visit to their Pomona home.

For two years, the family had been supervised by the department’s social workers, who investigated at least 12 allegations of abuse and neglect from 2004 to March 2008, according to files obtained by The Times through public records requests and a court order.

Only one allegation was substantiated.
Lopez was initially charged with murder, but in a plea deal she pleaded no contest to three counts of child abuse, including one count alleging that the abuse caused her daughter’s death on May 19, 2008. She was sentenced to 12 years and eight months in prison.

Garcia, who was imprisoned in the weeks before his daughter’s death, pleaded no contest to one count of child abuse. He was sentenced to six years in prison.

–Garrett Therolf 

INVESTIGATING CHILD DEATHS: Check out The Times’ special report on how L.A. County government handles child deaths, Innocents Betrayed.

Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn was charged Friday with battery and vandalism for allegedly attacking a photographer and breaking his camera outside Brentwood Country Mart in October, officials said.

Penn faces up to 18 months in jail if convicted of the misdemeanor charges of battery and vandalism stemming from the Oct. 2 run-in with a photographer.

The charges were filed by the L.A. city attorney’s office. The incident was captured on video and broadcast on TMZ, the celebrity website.

"We are alleging he kicked a photographer and and we are also accusing him of breaking the photographer’s camera," said Frank Mateljan, a city attorney spokesman.

Penn will be arraigned March 22 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

[Updated at 11:35 a.m.: The 49-year-old actor, who won best actor Oscars for "Milk" and "Mystic River," was known in his younger days for his clashes with the paparazzi. In 1987, he was sentenced to 60 days in jail for punching a movie extra on the set of the police drama "Colors." He was on probation at the time for punching a songwriter at a Silver Lake nightclub because he thought the man had kissed his wife, Madonna.

During the "Colors"incident, Penn pummeled the movie extra during a break in filming. In 1985, Penn received a suspended sentence after pleading no contest to charges he had attacked two British journalists who tried to photograph Madonna outside a Nashville hotel.]

–Richard Winton

Photo: Sean Penn at Academy Awards. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Workers at the San Onofre nuclear power plant fear retaliation if they report problems at the facility operated by Southern California Edison, according to an internal memo released by an Orange County environmental group.

The memo, written by a plant engineer, said 25 workers who reported problems at the plant said they feared retaliation from management after they made complaints. Of those workers, 17 said they did receive some type of retaliation for reporting complaints.

Details of these alleged actions were not detailed in the memo, which was released by Green San Clemente.

But the San Diego Union Tribune reported that despite those concerns, the memo noted that San Onofre workers report safety violations "10 times more often than the industry average."

San Onofre has been the subject of several investigations by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the last few years for various safety issues. Facility operators say the plant is safe and that they welcome employee input.

In 2008, The Times reported the twin-reactor facility ranks among the bottom 25% in overall
performance when measured against the nation’s other nuclear reactors,
according to e-mailed newsletters distributed to plant employees.

–Shelby Grad

Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

Most of the robberies have occurred at banks in Orange County,
including the robber’s target on Tuesday: a Home Savings of America
branch on Moulton Parkway in Laguna Niguel. According to the Orange
County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect walked up to a teller with a
note demanding money. It is unclear how much money he made away with.

He was given the "blue note" moniker by authorities because he submitted some of the notes to tellers on blue paper.

According to KTLA News, neighbors in Laguna Niguel said between 50 to 75 law
enforcement officials swarmed the suspect’s home in the 23000 block of
Porpoise Cove in Laguna Niguel Wednesday evening. Neighbors say the suspect is a married man with two teenage sons.

–Shelby Grad

Photo: FBI

People who chat too much on their cellphones and those who eat while on board made the
“Top Five Rude Behaviors Aboard Metro” list that was recently posted by a transit group.

The list was developed by a blogger at plusMETRO.

Here are the others that made the list:

–“The Bus Disc Jokey," someone who plays their music too loud.

–People who try and get on a bus or train before others can get off.

–Riders who put their feet up on other seats.

What are your pet peeves when riding Metro? 

Writes blogger Jung Gatoona: "When encountering such group of people, I find myself laughing quietly
at their behavior. But, humorous as their behavior might be, it is still
unacceptable, for public transportation is designed and catered to be
used by many, not just one individual. With that said, I bring to you
the top five most frequent rude behaviors you most probably will
encounter when taking public transportation in Los Angeles."

Let us know in the comments below.

— Ari B. Bloomekatz

Costa Mesa officials are beginning a project study aimed at relieving gridlock where the 55 Freeway ends on Newport Boulevard.

The report will examine various proposed solutions and look at the project’s effect on local businesses and residents, according to the Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa took on the expansion project more than a year ago.

“A
lot of people think traffic is good for business, but too much traffic
and congested traffic is not good for business,” Peter Naghavi, Costa Mesa’s director of public services, said. “If I’m
a loyal customer near there and it takes me half an hour to get there
every time, I’m going to find another place where there isn’t too much
traffic.”

About 100,000 cars unload from the southbound 55
Freeway onto Newport Boulevard daily, with about half going to local
destinations and the other half traveling to Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and other cities, Naghavi said.

Although there
are seven lanes, they are not enough to prevent jams because the street
eventually narrows. The city attempted to help the situation by adding more lanes, but that relieved traffic by about 33%, Naghavi said.

Read the full story here.

— Brianna Bailey

Photo credit: Daily Pilot