SAN BERNARDINO – Three men accused for a January 2011 shooting that took two teen-agers’ lives has been delayed.

On Monday, a tentative trial date of March 17 will open the case against three men – Anthony Legaspi, 20, Jose Ramon Lara, 30, and John David Salazar, 24 – who are accused of a shooting that killed Quinn McCaleb and Andrew Jackson, both 17.
It took months for investigators to find enough evidence to arrest the three, each of whom pleaded not guilty in March 2013. Legaspi has been identified by investigators as the shooter while the other two accused of participating.

Legaspi, who was a juvenile at the time, and Salazar will be on trial for first-degree murder with special allegations. Lara was charged with being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Legaspi will be tried as an adult.

Police said McCaleb, Jackson and three other teens had assembled at an apartment complex on Monday night to discuss plans for the evening. Police, which received a call shortly after 7 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2011, said the suspects walked into the playground area where the five teens were standing. That’s when the shooting began.

Along with the two deaths, two others were wounded by shots while the fifth teen escaped. McCaleb, who was a junior at nearby Redlands High School, died at the scene while Jackson, also an RHS junior, died later at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

The trial has been delayed on other occasions due to the availability of defense counsel. A March 14 readiness hearing is schedule in San Bernardino Superior Court. The three defendants were appeared in court on Friday when the motions for an additional delay were made.

It is a high profile case that received immediate attention on Los Angeles TV stations while reaching the front page of several Southern California newspapers. Coverage included the shootings, its aftermath including the funerals, plus a police news conference to request public assistance. It wasn’t until Feb. 2012 that the suspects were arrested and later charged in connection with the shootings.

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San Bernardino Sun: Trial for Cinnamon Creek slayings is delayed once again

Two San Bernardino County women have been arrested for allegedly robbing gravesites.

Esha Sumaya Khondoker, 26, of Redlands and Kulreet Nakai, 22, of Rancho Cucamonga were pulled over Tuesday and found to be in possession of several items recently stolen from Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands.

The young women admitted to stealing additional items over the past several months. A search of their homes yielded more stolen property. The items included wind chimes, decorative art and a child’s purse, according to reports.

Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands

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Press Enterprise: Grave robberies lead to two arrests

The Sun: Women arrested in Redlands grave robbing

SAN BERNARDINO – Police are still trying to determine if three separate shootings that left one man killed and three others in critical condition were connected.

Damon Enon Edwards, Jr., 20, of San Bernardino died of his injuries shortly after he was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. Kiyon Drake, 20, of San Bernardino, was also struck in the chest by bullets, but police said he is expected to survive after being taken to another area hospital by a private citizen. The time frame during the March 5 melee was just over three hours.

The first shooting took place near North Medical Center Drive and West Union Street near the West Side Food & Liquor at 12:18 p.m., which was where Edwards and Drake were struck . Sgt. Gary Robertson said Drake was taken to the unidentified hospital for surgery on shots to his upper torso. The men were standing on the corner when the gunfire erupted. “The reason for the shooting,” said Robertson, “has not yet been determined.”

Both Edwards and Drake are connected to street gangs, according to San Bernardino Police. San Bernardino Sheriff’s deputies, also involved in the shootings, said that reports included gunfire seen coming from a white, four-door sedan from two black males in their 20s.

Less than two hours later on the 2000 block of West Gilbert St., about a mile away from the first shooting, Jonathan Scruggs, 32, had pulled into his driveway. Reports are that one or two people got out, shot Scruggs in the head and upper body. A police news release stated that Scruggs, who survived, was in critical condition, his vital signs stable. Witnesses told police a silver Chevrolet Malibu, possibly 2008 or newer, was observed.

The third shooting, which occurred in the 3300 block of East Love Lane – several miles away from the first two shootings – involved a dark-colored vehicle, which could have been a Malibu. It pulled up alongside Chris Jones, 25, of San Bernardino. A passenger got out of the car, shot Jones several times, and fled at around 3:30 p.m. Police said Jones was in critical condition and expected to survive.

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ABC7: 3 shootings reported in San Bernardion, no arrests

KTLA:

SAN BERNARDINO – Jurors took less than one day to acquit a man accused of leaving his two-year-old nephew unattended when he was eventually attacked by five pit bulls.

Marco Zamudio, 23, of Colton, was released from jail after the Friday morning verdict was read in a San Bernardino County courtroom. Zamudio’s nephew, Samuel Eli Zamudio, died on Sept. 23, 2013 when he was left alone in the back room of a Colton residence on the 700 block of Citrus Avenue. Police reported that the boy reached outside the window of a rear bedroom into the back yard. He was pulled into the yard by the pit bulls. He was eventually found, mauled to death, lying in the corner of the back yard.

At the time, Marco Zamudio was arrested and so was Samuel’s grandmother, Eustolia Zamudio, 42. She was released by Colton police, however, and not charged when prosecutors determined that she was at work.

The boy, who was playing video games with his seven-year-old brother in a back bedroom, had leaned out the window to play with the dogs. When family members later determined that he was not in the room, they searched the house and eventually discovered him in the back yard, where there were between seven and 10 dogs.

Colton police, who reported that there was about 30 minutes from the time Samuel was discovered missing until he was eventually discovered, called the residence unsanitary, also saying the dogs were not cared for properly.

Defense attorneys called it a freak accident. The criminal complaint, however, stated that Marco Zamudio was responsible for Samuel’s care. He created conditions, said prosecutors, that “willfully caused and permitted a child to suffer, and inflicted thereon physical pain that resulted in death.

The five pit bulls that were involved in the attack were taken by animal control officers, along with three other dogs at the home.

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The Sun: Colton man acquitted in 2-year-old nephew’s dog mauling death

HESPERIA – Thirteen years after being convicted during his child molestation trial – in absentia – a former Riverside County resident was finally captured in the high desert community by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies.

Todd Eric Dalton, now 54, who was arrested last Saturday, disappeared during his 2001 trial when opening statements were being made. At that time, he was tried while not appearing in court, convicted on nine sex-related counts with special allegations, punishable by life imprisonment.

Dalton had been freed on $350,000 bond in 2001.

Deputies in Hesperia received anonymous information that Dalton was managing a business on Santa Fe Avenue East. At 3:06 p.m., when deputies approached him, Dalton reportedly gave the deputies a fake name. Sheriff’s officials said a mobile identification system was used to instantly confirm his identity. Deputies served a warrant charging him with continued sexual abuse of a child under 14, molestation of a child under the age of 14 and forcible sexual penetration.

He was scheduled for a hearing on his arrest warrant this week in Riverside Superior Court after deputies handed him over to Riverside County authorities on Monday. He is currently being held without bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.

Charges surrounded allegations in which two young females were reportedly molested by Dalton in the bedroom at his Riverside home. The molestations had spanned over several years, the jury was told. The girls told investigators in 1999 that Dalton had touched them and forced them to touch him in sexual ways.

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Press Enterprise: After 13 years on run, convicted child molester arrested

Fresno Bee: After 13 years on run, molester arrested

SAN BERNARDINO – Law enforcement agencies raided two medical marijuana dispensaries, arresting two men, seizing firearms and cracking down on what is believed to be gang-related activity early Wednesday. The dispensaries, located in the 1100 block of E Street and another at the 300 block of West 40th Street, have been linked to large amounts of criminal activity, said police.

“These two locations have already generated a number of patrol cars for service,” said San Bernardino Police spokesman, Lt. Rich Lawhead. “including burglaries and robberies.” Shootings have also been reported at both of those areas as well, he said.

Different agencies took part in the raids, including officers from the San Bernardino Movement Against Street Hoodlums, a SWAT team from both police and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s, along with regular police and sheriff’s officers.

At 6 a.m., the law enforcement agencies converged at the Truth Clinic at 316 West 40th Street, where searches turned up a rifle and handgun. Police arrested two people at the scene. There were no arrests made at the other location on E Street, though police did seize a shotgun and a handgun.

No marijuana was seized from either location, according to reports. Both dispensaries were shut down, said Lawhead. Several people were detained by police at both locations, but police only arrested two males. While the investigation continues, police did not yet identify those that had been arrested. Police officials confirmed that the marijuana sales at both dispensaries are tied to gang-related activities.

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San Bernardino Sun: SB marijuana dispensaries raided by police

SAN BERNARDINO – Nearly one week after the Libertarian Party treasurer from San Bernardino County was arrested on felony child molestation charges, she faces an arraignment in May.

Glynda Sue Perrotte, 42, of Highland was booked into Central Detention Center on March 11, suspected of committing lewd acts on a child and oral copulation with a 15-year-old boy.
A sheriff’s spokesman confirmed that Perrotte had posted bond on $150,000 bail, released from custody and now faces a San Bernardino Superior Court date on May 13 on the two felony counts filed by the District Attorney’s Office on Feb. 25. She surrendered to authorities after the warrant was sworn.
Perrotte, who works as a claims adjuster trainee for the Riverside County Department of Human Resources, is represented by defense attorney Michael Scaffidi.
Scaffidi said Perrotte plans to plead not guilty at her May 13 arraignment.
Perrotte, who has no previous criminal history, is the treasurer for the county Libertarian party, having resigned that post in view of the charges against her. Scaffidi said she hopes to regain that position when she is cleared of the charges.
A county sheriff’s release said that no details have yet to be released on the investigation. Perrotte surrendered to investigators on the morning on March 11. She was presented with the facts of the case, subsequently arrested, and was eventually released from custody at 10:45 a.m. on that same day.
Perrotte’s resignation from the Libertarian party took place within 24 hours after she had been charged.

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SB Sun: SB County libertarian party treasurer charged in child molestation case

SAN BERNARDINO – Police are still investigating a recent attack on an older woman at a major department store in which an arrest has yet to be made.

Several other incidents, in which no arrests have been made at the same location, are still being investigated.
Police said that one victim of a recent assault was convinced by Walmart store managers at 4210 East Highland Ave. not to make a report, advising her that law enforcement would not arrive for several hours.
San Bernardino Police investigators said on Friday March 14 Linda Andrade reported an attempt to pull a gold chain from her neck by an assailant who was inside the store at around 5 p.m. The woman screamed for help but, reportedly, no one responded.
Store managers did not respond to the victim, Andrade, 68, and her request to contact police. Andrade, a San Bernardino resident, went home where she reported the attack to police.

In a store videotape, a young black man, estimated to be in his late teens or  20s, was seen walking up from behind Andrade, who was pushing a shopping cart. He reached for the gold chain from behind. When she responded, the two squared off face to face as Andrade screamed for help.
The suspect made another reach for the gold chain before exiting the aisle, failing to land the gold chain.

“At first, the suspect is not successful,” said Lt. Rich Lawhead, spokesman for San Bernardino Police, “so he again reaches and grabs again at the necklace, but the victim is successful in defending herself and her property.”

Lawhead said the suspect fled the store. No one else was seen in aisles on either side of the one in which the incident took place. The suspect, who was wearing a black short sleeve shirt, green shorts, white socks and black shoes, walked away from the attack which lasted about 10 seconds.

Police reported they are investigating several other robberies in the parking lot and areas near the store. The Walmart location, which is surrounded by other businesses, is located near an intersection of state highways, including one that leads into the nearby mountain resorts. Andrade suffered minor injuries, said police, including bruising. She got a good look at her attacker during the incident.

According to Walmart officials, the usual time it takes for police to respond on shoplifting calls is two to three hours. Officers told Andrade at her home that they would have arrived much quicker. A Walmart spokeswoman said that surveillance video will likely assist police to identify the attacker.

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UPI: Woman attacked at WalMart claims she was asked not to call police

Sun: SB woman allegedly attacked at WalMArt

SAN BERNARDINO – An ex-sheriff’s deputy, found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a teen-age girl, was sentenced to over 13 years in prison by a Superior Court judge on Friday. Nathan Gastineau, 30, who will also be required to register as a sex offender for life, had long since denied the accusations of a then 15-year-old former Explorer scout who made the charges in 2011.

The unidentified victim, who appeared in court with her parents, watched Judge William Jefferson Powell IV hand down the maximum sentenced allowed – 13 years and eight months in state prison.

Gastineau, who resigned as a Highland-area deputy in 2012 and drove a taxi cab in the Los Angeles County area, kept getting delays in his trial which took nearly three years from the outset of the incidents. He was convicted on January 17 on charges of lewd acts with a child, unlawful sex with a minor and possession of child pornography.

The two met through the sheriff’s Explorers, a county-based program that allows teen-agers a glimpse into law enforcement. Explorers are allowed to ride along with deputies who are on duty. They became involved in a sexual relationship that lasted about six months, according to investigators. Gastineau, who continuously denied any sexual involvement, later testified that the two had sex just once.

Investigators discovered a videotape of their sexual activities in the bedroom of his Redlands apartment. During trial, it was disclosed that Gastineau used his deputy’s handcuffs during their activities.

Gastineau’s attorney, Andrew Haynal, argued that his client should have received a suspended sentence and probation based on his years of service with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The convicted ex-deputy called the affair a “monumental mistake and a huge lapse in judgement.”

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The Sun: Ex-San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputy Nathan Gastineau sentenced to 13 years in prison

SAN BERNARDINO – Police said the shooter who killed a man at a party had been among those mingling inside the home early Sunday morning.

Deandre Williams, 27, of Rialto was shot to death at 1:20 a.m. on the 5500 block of North Osborne Court, but police said they have no clues to the identity of the man who shot him. San Bernardino Police spokesman Gary Robertson said, “We don’t have an argument, we don’t have hand gestures, we don’t have any problems at the party before this shooting.”

On Monday, San Bernardino investigators discovered that Williams was a documented member of a Rialto-based gang. Rialto is a city located about 10 miles from San Bernardino. Police are still trying to track down the shooter’s identity, along with a motive for the attack. Witnesses from the party that numbered approximately 100 people told police little that would help disclose motives or identity of the suspected shooter.

Since Williams is a documented gang member, police have not ruled out it was a gang-related shooting. The unknown suspect, said Lt. Rich Lawhead in a release, is a black male estimated to be in his 20s.

Police, who said there were about eight people milling around in front of the residence at the time of the shooting, suspect that the shooter was an uninvited guest. The shooting occurred about one mile from the California State University campus.

This is the ninth homicide in San Bernardino in 2014.

Read more:

CBSLA: Rialto man fatally shot at San Bernardino house party

KTLA: Victim ID’d in fatal party shooting

SAN BERNARDINO – A pitbull, engaged in a vicious dogfight with another dog on Wednesday, was eventually shot and killed by two retired law enforcement officers.

Both men, who live across the street from each other said San Bernardino Police spokesman Rich Lawhead, tried a less lethal approach. But, he said, there may have been no other way to stop the attack that took place on the 3600 block of North Lugo Ave. at about 3 p.m.

The two ex-law enforcement officers – one a retired police officer and the other retired sheriff’s deputy – opened fire after squirting both dogs with water failed to slow up the attack.

Lawhead said a neighbor’s dog had gotten out of its yard and attacked the other dog, which was also running loose. He said the retired officers were trying to keep the pit bull from killing the other dog. They used their garden hose at first, said Lawhead, but the attack didn’t end.

He did not disclose which one of the two retired officers shot the dog. Neither man owned either of the two dogs, said Lawhead. The surviving dog fled the scene, but observers were unable to determine if the unknown breed was injured during the attack. “The gate for (the pit bull) wasn’t secured very well,” said Lawhead. The dog escaped from his yard and attacked the other roaming dog.

No one was arrested, said Lawhead. “All were questioned,” he said, “and the police conducted an investigation documenting the incident.”

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Press Enterprise: Retired officers kill dog-fighting pit bull

SAN BERNARDINO – Two adult men and a juvenile were shot by a man on Friday night, but police have yet to disclose the identity of the suspect, who might have shot another man earlier in the day.

Police are still investigating the 6:51 p.m. shooting in the 2900 block of North Loma Ave., where four people were found shot, including the suspected shooter, a 19-year-old black male.
When police responded to initial reports, they discovered four people suffering from differing gunshot wounds and different locations at the apartment complex area. All were taken to an area hospital, including a 19-year-old female adult from Los Angeles – shot in the chest and remained in critical condition following surgery.

Two other male adults, including the shooter who was wounded in the leg, and another victim shot in the face, will survive, said Lt. Rich Lawhead, spokesman for San Bernardino police. A 15-year-old victim was also expected to survive.

The two other shooting victims are from San Bernardino. All were taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, a city located south of San Bernardino.

Police arrested the male shooting suspect, who is from San Bernardino, at the hospital, said Lawhead, “after witnesses identified the shooter to be the male adult who was shot in the leg.”

Lawhead disclosed the suspect shot himself in the leg while trying to escape.

Additional evidence of a second shooter has surfaced, said Lawhead, “but (the suspect) has not yet been identified.

Lawhead said the shooting does not appear to be gang related based on the suspect’s comments prior to the attack.

Names have not been released, said Lawhead, “due to the ongoing investigation.”

The scene included several residents who crowded into the shooting scene while police, both on the ground and from a helicopter, attempted to disperse the group.
In a shooting that might have been related earlier on Friday, police investigated a call about a fight near 15th and Belle in which an unidentified man with a bullet wound to his foot was discovered.

No arrests have yet been made in that shooting.

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CBS Los Angeles: Suspected Gunman Believed To Be Among 4 Wounded In San Bernardino Shooting

The Sun: San Bernardino shootings: FIve wounded in Friday violence

HIGHLAND – San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials said that two bodies, found dead in their home on April 2, were killed about two weeks earlier. That disclosure came out Friday, April 4, two days after the bodies of Susan Youn Wun, 49, and Robert Suzuki, 63, were had been discovered dead in their home. Investigators, said a sheriff’s spokeswoman, were withholding the cause of deaths for now.

No suspects have yet to be identified by investigators. Though Wun and Suzuki lived together, they were not married. Suspicions aroused when a neighbor had reported to deputies that she had not seen Wun for several days, reported being concerned.

Deputies discovered the bodies in the 28000 block of Saffron Ave., about one mile from Interstate 210 and Base Line St. Investigators believe they were killed in the house on or about March 21, according to a news release.

Wun’s 2000 Silver Mercedes SUV was stolen at the time of the attack and was found on April 3 near Post St. and Brockton Ave. in Redlands, about seven miles from the her home. Investigators, who investigated the SUV for evidence, did not disclose any possible leads.

Investigators believe the SUV was stolen the night the couple was killed. Wun also had a red Porsche.
Statements from investigators originally disclosed that the couple had been found dead, ruling it only suspicious until determining it was a homicide case two days later.

Highland is located east of San Bernardino, just north of Redlands, a city of about 55,000 people.
The county coroner’s release also did not specify a cause of death.

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CBSLA: Couple found dead in their Highland home were murdered

Press Enterprise: Man, woman found dead were slain

SAN BERNARDINO – While jury deliberations were continuing for a third accused attacker, a San Bernardino man was convicted Friday of murdering a 90-year-old woman in 2005.

Michael Mitchell, Jr., 29, will be sentenced on May 2 after a Superior Court jury convicted him in the killing of Josephine Frances Kelley in her North Muscupiabe Dr. residence. Three suspects were arrested in 2013, including Mitchell, along with Kiesha Renee Smith, 29, and Sherry Ann Beck, 32.

Beck pleaded guilty in December 2013 to voluntary manslaughter, causing great bodily injury to an elderly person, robbery and grand theft. She will be sentenced this week, according to a release. Jurors were still underway for Smith, who is charged with murder.

It was a tip to police that linked investigators to the trio, which was considered a burglary crew. When Kelley was discovered by her daughter on Sept. 5, 2005, she had been found assaulted, having been smothered to death in her ransacked home in which jewelry, electronics and other personal property had been stolen. The crime had been determined as a home invasion robbery by police.

Less than 24 hours after the discovery of her body, Kelley’s 25-year-old grandson, Derrick Mitchell Hassett, was arrested. It was Hassett’s mother, Susan, who had discovered the body at about 4 p.m. on Sept. 5, 2005. Hassett, whose link to the slaying was not disclosed, was eventually released.

Kelley lived at the home with relatives for about four years, said investigators. San Bernardino police have had other home invasion attacks, including some murders, occur against elderly people in recent years. The Kelley case was considered cold until a tip alerted investigators to the suspects.

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SacBee: Man convicted of killing 90-year-old woman in 2005

Press Enterprise: Man convicted of murdering 90-year-old woman

CrimeVoice: Police Make Arrests in Eight-Year-Old Murder Case

SAN BERNARDINO – Police wrote 13 citations and impounded 14 vehicles on Tuesday when they drove after facing sanctions in Superior Court.

An undercover sting at Superior Court had targeted drivers whose licenses had just been suspended or revoked by judges. The drivers had just been convicted by the court for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to a press release.

Sgt. Vicki Contreras said 28 offenders were followed by officers from the courtroom to their vehicles “to ensure they weren’t driving.” She said, “Some offenders complied with the law and had alternate means of transportation.”

There were, she said, 13 individuals in court “who proceeded to get behind the wheel and drove away from the court house.”
Officers also conducted other enforcement stops when they witnessed drivers violating traffic laws, “in an attempt to keep motorists safe.”

Those who chose to drive, she said, “were stopped by waiting officers.”
Those stopped for driving after having their licenses suspended or revoked were cited back into court.

Thirteen people drove with suspended or revoked licenses, she said. There were nine miscellaneous traffic violations and 14 cars were towed to an impound yard.
Contreras said those arrested, “could face additional jail time, long driver license suspensions along with other financial hits including possible attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work and the potential loss of job or job prospects.”

She added, “When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.”
Officers conducted the sting operation between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., she said.

A grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funded the operation, said Contreras. San Bernardino police has conducted the operation on prior occasions and will likely do so again.

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Press Enterprise: Courthouse sting catches 13 driving illegally

HESPERIA – Three suspects, accused of armed robbery of a smoke shop, are scheduled to appear in a Victorville courthouse on Tuesday to face arraignment.

The suspects, which includes two men and woman, kicked off a neighborhood manhunt in the 17200 block of Main St. after two, armed masked men robbed the Best Price Smoke Shop, escaping in a green van shortly before 10 a.m. on Friday.

Jermaine Brown, 32, of Adelanto, Sterling Ghoston, 25, of San Bernardino, and, later, Kearia Brown, 25, the wife of Jermaine Brown, were arrested in connection with the robbery. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies from a handful of area divisions, converged on the area around the store, setting up a perimeter at Hesperia Road, Third Avenue, Chestnut Street. and Yucca Street.
During the robbery, suspects held a victim and members of his family captive in the store, leading to an eventual charge of kidnapping, said a police spokesman.

The male suspects had left their car, fled on foot and were chased down by deputies who later recovered the gun used in the robbery. Evidence later linked Kearia Brown, who was not present at the crime, to the robbery, investigators said. Hesperia deputies, using a search warrant, entered a residence on the 14000 block of Allendale Circle in Adelanto, which is a neighboring community.

Sheriff’s deputies said a man who watched the suspects fleeing, followed them at a safe distance and reported to authorities, was a key element in their capture. His assistance, according to a statement, “was instrumental in the capture of the two suspects.”

Kearia Brown, contacted by investigators at about 7 p.m. on Friday, was later arrested as part of the robbery. She was booked at the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto, charged with armed robbery and conspiracy. She was being held on $100,000 bail.

Ghoston, meanwhile, was discovered to have had a felony no-bail warrant for violating the terms of a domestic violence conviction. Brown had been on parole for residential robbery, said investigators. Neither man was eligible for bail because of previous arrest records. They were booked into the High Desert Detention Center on charges of armed robbery, plus kidnapping.
One victim, according to a release, was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital, sustained during the robbery.

Surrounding agencies from Victorville, Apple Valley and Victor Valley stations backed up the Hesperia deputies. A sheriff’s helicopter, the Specialized Enforcement Division and a police dog from the Rancho Cucamonga station were also used in the manhunt.

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Daily Press: Third suspect arrested in armed robbery

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – FBI investigations of abuse inmates at the West Valley Detention Center involves at least three county deputies who are no longer working for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Neither the FBI nor the sheriff’s department would disclose the identity of the three deputies that were assigned to the jailhouse, other than they were no longer employed.
County officials would not disclose how deep the investigation has probed, or if other deputies have been accused.

A statement released by Sheriff John McMahon on Friday included a strong desire to discover the truth about any allegations surrounding abuse of prisoners.
“I will not tolerate any misconduct by department personnel,” he said. “These allegations are being taken very seriously and this department is determined to get answers.”

McMahon revealed that allegations first came to light on March 5. A news release disclosed an administrative investigation by ranking department members when inmate abuse surfaced.
During its own investigation, the county sheriff’s department discovered the FBI was also investigating a similar tip. Both agencies, said officials, are cooperating. The FBI’s criminal investigation, said a spokeswoman, includes a possible civil rights violation of the inmates at the jail in March.

It’s likely that the case will be submitted to the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles for possible criminal charges being filed, said the spokeswoman.
The West Valley Detention Center, which opened in 1991, is one of the largest jails in California with a bed capacity of nearly 3,500. According to information provided by the sheriff’s department, the center completes over 50,000 bookings and releases each year.

Captain Jeff Rose presides over the facility.
The jail is located at 9500 Etiwanda Ave. in Rancho Cucamonga, north of Interstate 10.

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The Sun: More San Bernardino County jail deputies under investigation

SAN BERNARDINO – Jurors convicted a woman connected to the 2005 murder death of a 90-year-old woman in a home invasion robbery.

Kiesha Smith, of San Bernardino, joined Michael Mitchell, who was found guilty on April 4, as responsible for the killing of Josephine Kelley in Sept. 15, 2005. Both were tried together, but each had separate juries for a trial that started in February.
They were arrested in April 2013.

Investigators pored through several leads and connections before arresting both Smith and Mitchell for the killing of Kelley, who was smothered with a pillow case. A third defendant, Sherry Beck, took a plea bargain last year in exchange for her testimony during the trial of Smith and Mitchell.

Evidence during the trial is that Smith put a pillow case over Kelley’s head, assisted in tying her down while Mitchell hit the victim. Kelley, whose death was ruled by being smothered, died in her home on the 2800 block of Muscupiabe Dr., an older section of the city in north San Bernardino.
She was discovered with a TV chord and masking tape binding her hands.

Early investigation into the crime focused on Kelley’s grandson, Derrick Hassett, one of four people that lived at the residence.
A tip led police to the trio of suspects. Beck told investigators that she targeted Kelley’s home because of a bad drug deal that involved Hassett. Investigators originally that Hassett was connected to his grandmother’s death.

It was Beck that initially alerted police on Smith and Mitchell.
Once police became aware of Smith, Mitchell and Beck, they discovered evidence, including stolen property – a safe, coins and jewelry – from Kelley’s home, at the Rialto house that Mitchell and Smith were staying.

Hassett, according to testimony, was lured away from the Muscupiabe home on the night of the crime, which led to Kelley being home alone. Kelley’s body was discovered by her daughter, Susan Hassett.

Mitchell will be sentenced on May 2, Beck on May 6, while Smith is scheduled to face sentencing on May 12, both in San Bernardino Superior Court. Beck has agreed to serve 17 years in state prison.

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Contra Costa Times: Man, two women arrested in 2005 killing

YUCAIPA – A high school Spanish teacher, accused of having sex with a teen-age student, will be arraigned in Superior Court on Tuesday.

One day after county sheriff’s authorities received a tip on an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and an under-age student, Sheila Heacock, 44, was arrested on charges of felony oral copulation with a minor, penetration by a foreign object, contact with a minor to commit an offense, and unlawful sexual intercourse

School officials confirmed to investigators that Heacock, 44, who is also known as Sheila Roostai, has taught for 18 years in the Yucaipa school district.

One day after learning about the alleged relationship, Yucaipa Sheriff’s investigators confirmed it with the 16-year-male student. It was revealed that the initial contact took place in January and lasted through March, said Cindy Bachman, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Bachman said the reports are the Heacock drove the victim to a remote location, some 10 miles from the high school location, where the alleged events took place. She said none of the actions occurred on school grounds, nor at the teen’s home, nor at Heacock’s home. Heacock, who has taught at three different elementary school campuses over the past three years before moving on to Yucaipa High School, is being held on $100,000 bail.

Investigators from the Crimes Against Children Detail, who learned about the possible relationship from a district administrator, are seeking other possible victims during the course of their ongoing investigation.

Heacock was arrested on Thursday night, according to reports, and was booked into Central Detention Center in San Bernardino. On Friday, she was released on bail. She has been placed on administrative leave.

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ABC7: Yucaipa High teacher accused of sex with teen

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CHINO – The Luger Bandit, a suspected bank robber believed responsible for eight armed robberies over three counties, a string that began in early January, has been caught.

Ramsin Jonathan Malek, 32, of Pasadena, was arraigned in San Bernardino County Superior Court this week. On Wednesday, April 16, Malek reportedly entered a Chase Bank at 7022 Schaefer Ave. in Chino just after the branch opened at 9 a.m.

Using a Luger handgun, Malek allegedly demanded money, then fled in a gray BMW 328i, according to Chino police.
A few minutes after the robbery, Chino police spotted the car, pulled the driver over and arrested him. Both money and the Luger were discovered in the car.

Since Jan. 3, when he reportedly struck a bank in Granada Hills in Los Angeles County, the FBI dubbed him the Luger Bandit due to his use of the firearm during the robberies. His robbery method, described in police reports, was to order everyone onto the floor, using the silver handgun that resembled a German Luger-style weapon.
He had one failed robbery attempt, according to Chino police.

He is suspected of similar robberies in the Riverside County cities of Mira Loma and Corona and in Fontana, located in San Bernardino County, plus the L.A. County city of San Dimas on April 9.

He targeted Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Chase banks, according to the charges against him.
The suspect is a Syrian, six-feet-one-inch tall, weighing about 240 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Malek was being held at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, facing $100,000 bail.

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