SAN BERNARDINO – The shooting death of a teenager early July 13 led to the arrest of the main suspect while two others also face charges in a shooting that included the attempted murder of another teen.

Tomanisha Marie Nichols was shot to death at a party in the 4000 block of North E St. just after midnight on July 13. Darin Andrew Couzens, 25, was apprehended about eight hours later while trying to get treatment for his own injuries at an area hospital.

Though he was arraigned in San Bernardino Superior Court on July 15, where he pleaded not guilty, Couzens was scheduled to appear again in court this week.

Two others, Robert Lee Williams, 23, and Anthony Prieto, 25, were also charged with felony murder in the shooting. Sheriff’s detectives determined that Williams and Prieto were involved in the course of their investigation.

Another victim, Traveon Southern, was also shot outside the house on North E St., but survived the attack.

Witnesses told detectives there had been an altercation that might have led to the shooting. Some reports said Nichols was on her cell phone when she was struck down by a bullet.

According to the charges, Couzens used a handgun, that has been recovered, to shoot Nichols and Southern. Investigators have determined Couzens had been the sole shooter while the other participated.

The charges also include charges that the crime was committed in “association with a criminal street gang with the specific intent to promote, further and assist in criminal conduct by gang members.”

Though law enforcement reports offered no motive, the charges connect the shooting to gang-related elements.

Court records show that Couzens was sentenced to 36 months probation in Sept. 2010 after pleading a guilty to being possession of a modified weapon. Earlier that year, he was convicted of violating probation after convicted of battery charges.

In 2008, Prieto, then 19, was convicted of armed robbery.

Couzens, who is being held at $1 million bail, was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

Read More:

The Sun: Three San Bernardino men charged with teen’s death

TWENTYNINE PALMS – Law enforcement agencies have intensified a search for a missing 19-year woman, pregnant, with sensitive details being released that could hurt the search.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s detectives have received information about possible locations to continue a search for Erin Corwin, who was reported missing by her husband on June 28. “We are looking for a crime scene,” said Leland Boldt, captain of the Sheriff’s Specialized Investigation Division. The search has reached three weeks.

Investigators have arrested Christopher Lee, a man known to Corwin prior to her disappearance, on unrelated charges. A destructive device was discovered in his Yucca Valley residence on the 700 block of Geromino Trail, about 20 miles from Corwin’s home in Twentynine Palms. Major media reports have unveiled information that might hurt the investigation. Said Sgt. Travis Newport: “Further information regarding the facts outlined in the search warrant will not be discussed. It is unfortunate such extensive details were released regarding this investigation because it can affect the outcome of the case.”

Among those details is that Corwin, pregnant, might have been carrying Lee’s child. Law enforcement has cleared Corwin’s husband, Marine Corporal Jon Corwin, of any wrongdoing in her disappearance. She was about three weeks pregnant when she went missing, according to reports. Four search warrants were served on July 1, one to search Corwin’s vehicle and home, and her neighbor, Lee, a former U.S. Marine, his vehicle and home, according to documents. The documents also stated there was probable cause that “a felony has been committed.”

Reports that Corwin and Lee, who is also married, were having an affair and planned a special day together, likely celebrating her pregnancy and “he was going to take her hunting.” The sheriff’s dept., said Newport, “has a responsibility to Erin’s family, her loved ones and her unborn child to provide answers regarding her disappearance.” He’s calling for the integrity of the investigation to remain intact. According to reports, Lee told investigators that he did not see Corwin on the day she went missing. Law enforcement investigators specified that his arrest on charges of possessing a destructive device were not related to her disappearance.

Newport said the suspicious circumstances have existed “from the inception of this investigation, (but) there is still not enough evidence to rule out that Erin Corwin could be voluntarily missing. It is crucial all acquaintances be contacted and interviewed, in an effort to solve the case.” Sometime after Corwin went missing, her cell phone was deactivated, according to reports. There are several other reports, including a witness that told authorities that someone resembling Corwin got out of her car and got into another vehicle with an unknown man as they drove into Joshua Tree National Park.
Several law enforcement agencies are continuing the search.

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LATIMES: Neighbor said body of missing wife won’t be found

TWENTYNINE PALMS – Forensic evidence along with sworn statements have narrowed the trail to a missing 19-year-old pregnant woman that law enforcement officials have still been unable to locate.

Erin Corwin, who was three weeks pregnant when her husband reported her missing on June 28, has been romantically linked to a neighbor by reports of other neighbors and a friend of hers from Tennessee. In affidavits connected to Corwin’s disappearance, San Bernardino County investigators determined that she and neighbor Christopher Lee were headed for Joshua Tree National Park on Sunday morning, June 28.

Lee has denied seeing Erin, according to the affidavits, despite similar tire tracks for both his car and for Erin’s car, plus a set of footprints leading from her car to those that were identified. “Lee stated that he went hunting,” according to the affidavit, “at approximately (7:30 a.m. on June 28),” which was the same time that Erin’s husband, Marine Corporal Jonathan Corwin told authorities he last saw Erin.

Erin Corwin, in the same affidavit, told her husband that she was going to Joshua Tree National Park to hike in order to scout trails in preparation for her mother’s visit on July 4. Lee reportedly returned to his residence at 4 p.m. on June 28. Investigators said that Erin’s friend, Jessica Trenthan, of Tennessee, told them that Erin and Lee “were romantically involved and that Erin may be pregnant with Lee’s child.”

Reportedly, Erin told Trenthan that, “Lee was worried if his wife (Nicole) discovered Erin was pregnant, Lee’s wife would divorce him and keep him from (Lee’s own) child.” Trenthan knew that Erin and Lee were scheduled to go on a day trip on June 28. When Jonathan Corwin tried to contact his wife on the afternoon of June 28, she did not answer. Investigators determined that Erin’s cell phone was deactivated.

On June 30, Erin’s car was located in Twentynine Palms, minutes from the Corwin and Lee residences. Investigators discovered a single set of shoe tracks that led from her car to that of a parked vehicle in which the tire tracks matched Lee’s car. At first, investigators said, Lee denied knowing Erin. Later, he acknowledged the two grown close and had kissed each other, but he denied to investigators about a sexual relationship.

Detectives also recovered 10 shell casings from a .40-caliber rifle that has been linked to Lee. The rifle has not been recovered, according to reports. A witness, Isabella Megli, told investigators that Lee’s wife, Nicole, said, “without a body, detectives did not have a case against them and the detectives would never find the body.” Nicole Lee also told Megli that her husband “did not have an alibi for June 29,” the day after Erin was last seen.

Megli also reported that Nicole Lee “berated (her husband) in front of her about not being able to keep his lies straight when he was interviewed by detectives because he was dumb.”

The couple had been moving items from their home onto her property in preparation for a move to Alaska. None of the evidence linking Erin and Christopher Lee, however, has led to Lee’s arrest. Erin turned 20-years-old on July 15.

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HIGHLAND – San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies arrested squatters who produced a phony rental agreement, but uncovered a variety of other possible criminal activities on July 18.

Tomm Lanese, 49, Donald Savage, 33, and Salvador Rodriguez, 35, will appear in court at various times this week facing charges of identity theft and possession of stolen property, among other possible charges. Shortly after 6 p.m. on July 18, deputies checked on reports of possible squatters at a vacant residence on the 28000 block of Carriage Hill R.d.

Donald Savage

Deputies found Lanese, Savage and an unidentified 16-year-old female, discovering the trio had moved into the residence illegally. “They attempted to use a forged rental document as proof of tenancy,” said Sgt. James Porter, “but deputies learned the home was for sale and had never been rented to any of the parties.” All three suspects, found to have active warrants, were arrested.

Investigators later discovered forged identification cards, multiple credit card readers and magnetic imprinters, plus numerous forged checks and computers used in the forgery process, said Porter. Personal identifying information, he said, of an estimated 20 victims from multiple California locations was discovered inside the home and in a vehicle belonging to the suspects. Savage and Lanese were booked on multiple felony counts relating to the identity theft and taken to Central County Detention Center in neighboring San Bernardino.

One day later, continued investigation determined that Rodriguez, who had additional evidence linking him to the identity theft organization. He was arrested on related charges in addition to parole violation, said Porter.
Rodriguez was also charged with multiple counts and taken to Central Detention Center. Victims range in area from Newport Beach in Orange County to the Inland Empire (San Bernardino County) and out to the Coachella Valley (Riverside County), says Porter.

Salvador Rodriguez

Investigators were continuing the investigation by contacting victims of these crimes, working to determine how the suspects were able to come into possession of personal identification information and account numbers, said Porter, who said that Deputy Mike Madril was conducting the investigation.

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SAN BERNARDINO – An armed robbery suspect, who fired at a robbery victim, died from wounds suffered in a single car crash after a high speed chase early Friday morning.

On Monday, police identified the suspect, Jamel James Miller, 25, of San Bernardino as the man who died in the crash.

Police said that three suspects, including two unidentified juveniles, assaulted a victim at the 500 block of West 8^th St. after midnight, demanding his property. Brandishing a firearm, the victim, Dorian Perkins, 35, of San Bernardino, complied. “He gave over his personal property,” said San Bernardino Police Lt. Rich Lawhead.

One suspect, said reports, fired a single shot at Perkins, missing, then fled the area in a black Ford Explorer with yellow dealer license plates. When police checked the area for the suspect’s vehicle, eventually locating it in the area of Baseline St. and Cedar Ave., the suspects fled from officers. The pursuit reached speeds at approximately 100 miles-per-hour.

The suspect vehicle’s driver eventually lost control of the Explorer and crashed into the county area of Baseline St. and Elm in neighboring Highland. The Explorer rolled over, according to county coroner reports, at 12:30 a.m. The single car collision, said Lawhead, resulted in Miller’s death. The other two suspects, both juveniles ages 13 and 17, were arrested and taken to Juvenile Hall, said Lawhead. They suffered minor injuries from the crash, he said.

Lawhead said a shotgun, a flare gun and expended shot was recovered from the Explorer along with property that belonged to Perkins.

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REDLANDS – A bicycle theft suspect, identified by surveillance photos sent out on social media, was arrested by Redlands Police on Wednesday.

The department’s Facebook page and Twitter account posts sent fliers of wanted suspects and persons of interest in various crimes, according to Carl Baker in a news release. A 25-year-old man was contacted by police on suspicion of stealing a bicycle in the 600 block of Jeremy Court. A Facebook user identified the man in the photo to police. The bicycle has not yet been recovered.

Since July 28, said Lt. Travis Martinez, who heads of the department’s Special Operations Bureau, police have posted seven fliers displaying surveillance photos of crimes. Those include mainly theft crimes, he said. It’s been only a few days into the new initiative, he said, before the first successful identification has been made. Misdemeanor charges were filed by police through the District Attorney’s office on the bicycle theft.

“Investigators are seeking information that would help identify the person in the photos,” said Martinez, adding that fliers “include a description of the circumstances of the crime, including the date, time and location.” Social media users are also led to the proper reporting procedures, he said.

Martinez specified that providing suspect information on line is not advisable, “in order to avoid making potential false accusations public or jeopardizing the police investigation.” Redlands police already uses several surveillance cameras located at strategic positions around the city, mostly in the downtown area. Police have been able to solve several crimes and avert others due to that use.

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HIGHLAND – Two men with arrest records were taken into custody when San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies found loaded weapons in their car after a San Bernardino home was shot up on Friday night.

Ralphie Robert Lopez, 28, and Adonis Alfredo Serrano, 19, will appear in court this week, said officials, after being charged with shooting up a San Bernardino home on Friday night. San Bernardino police showed up to a home on the 800 block of North K Street on reports of a drive-by shooting in which several bullets were fired through a shattered window. No one was injured.

A short time later, sheriff’s deputies from a neighboring Highland station confronted a man with a gun inside a car at the intersection of McKinley and Ninth streets. Lopez and Serrano were stopped, their vehicle searched, eventually two guns – a sawed-off shotgun and a pistol – with a fired bullet casing, were discovered, according to reports. The pistol had altered serial numbers, said authorities.

Shooting occurred down this street, the 800 block of North K Street

Law enforcement officials charged Serrano with possession of the sawed-off shotgun, plus committing property damages over $400. According to court records, he was convicted in March for carrying a concealed weapon in a car, carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, receiving 15 days jail time.

Lopez, who has a 2011 conviction for possession of ammunition, won’t be offered bail due to probationary status – being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition while altering a gun’s serial number. Both suspects were booked into Central Detention Center in San Bernardino. Officials said they will likely appear in court on Tuesday.

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The Sun: 2 arrested in Highland after shots fired

Estimated value of $5 million

SAN BERNARDINO – San Bernardino Police seized 10,000 pounds of marijuana, estimated to be worth several million dollars, in a Thursday evening raid at a city location that was not disclosed. No one has yet been arrested in the seizure, according to Sgt. Vicki Contreras, who said the raid took place at 7 p.m.

Narcotics officers, said Contreras, were acting on a tip about a large amount of marijuana in a storage container located within the city. When officers opened the door of this container, they found it lined with boxed items.

“Behind these boxes,” said Contreras, “deeper into the container, officers found approximately 10,000 (pounds) of marijuana.”

The value is estimated to be in the millions of dollars, though an accurate amount has yet to be reported. One estimate, however, did report that it was valued at $5 million, though it has not been confirmed.

Contreras said investigators have additional leads that they are following up on and believe that they will be able to identify a suspect. The marijuana was stored in cardboard boxes that had been stacked tall in the back of a white tractor trailer, investigators said. When officers arrived to investigate the tractor-trailer, it was unoccupied. The investigation will continue, said Contreras.

Medical marijuana is legal in California, said officials, though illegal sales have created safety concerns for both police and citizens. Laws do not allow people to possess large quantities of marijuana.

Investigators located the truck, deeming it to be suspicious, which led to its inspection. While the marijuana was found in unmarked boxes, the “dummy” boxes in front of the truck were decoys that were marked as Barbie doll camper toys. Authorities said there was some evidence that indicated the marijuana was not grown in the U.S. No information was given about the tip that led authorities to the truck.

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TWENTYNINE PALMS – Evidence of foul play is now being sought in the disappearance of a 20-year-old pregnant woman who hasn’t been seen since June 28.

Erin Corwin, who was last seen leaving her home for a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park, has been missing ever since. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s investigators are searching for specific locations to see if evidence of foul play can be discovered. But law enforcement officials have stopped short of calling the search a criminal investigation.

In a news release, Capt. Leland Boldt declared, “We are looking for a crime scene.” No search locations have been disclosed by investigators. Last Friday, investigators received information that led to a more focused search location.

Law enforcement officials are battling against a volume of mounting information that includes a possible extra-marital affair, misleading statements to authorities, gun involvement, and even the possibility that she disappeared on her own.

A person of interest in the case is Christopher Brandon Lee, 24, who is suspected of having extra-marital relations with Corwin. Investigators searched his home on July 4, and he was arrested that same day for possession of a potato launcher, an illegal destructive device. Also searched was the White Rock Horse Rescue, where both Corwin and Lee had horses. Lee also worked at that location. He has not been arrested in Corwin’s disappearance, nor has he been declared a suspect.

Erin Corwin is married to a marine stationed at the military base in Twentynine Palms, who has been cleared by authorities. Lee is an ex-marine.

Lee has made misleading statements about his relationship with Corwin, according to affidavits filed in various search warrants provided by law enforcement. Among those statements include one originally noting that he knew little about Corwin.

Meanwhile, Lee’s wife Nicole confided to a witness, Isabella Megli, that the lack of a body means law enforcement does not have a case against her husband. One affidavit, written by Detective Corey Emon, read “Nicole told Isabella that without a body the detectives did not have a case against them, and the detectives would never find the body.” Nicole had also berated Lee in front of Isabella about not being able to keep his lies straight when he was interviewed by detectives because he was dumb. “Nicole stated she was able to keep her story straight and the detectives did not get any information from her.”

Additional information came from Erin Corwin’s friend, Jessica Trentham, of Tennessee, who told authorities that Lee was worried that if Corwin was pregnant, his wife would divorce him and prevent him from seeing his child. Other statements made to authorities indicated Lee said that he kissed Corwin, but did not have sexual relations. However, Lee’s neighbors, along with Trentham, stated that Lee and Corwin were having an affair. 

Two days after Lee went hunting in Joshua Tree National Park, on June 28, Corwin’s vehicle was discovered. Investigators have determined that both Lee and Corwin were in the park on the same day. Lee said he did not see Corwin in the park. When Corwin’s car was discovered on June 30, a single set of shoe tracks led from the driver’s door to a set of tire tracks. According to the affidavit, the tracks are similar to the track that would be left by Lee’s Jeep Cherokee, presenting more evidence of a possible connection.

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YUCCA VALLEY – A Landers man was arrested by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies on charges of raping a 15-year-old last month.

Johnny Alaniz, 18, was arrested on Aug. 7 and appeared in court to face charges for rape and raping an under-age female. Deputy Shauna Ables was summoned to a Yucca Valley in response to a father who had reported his 15-year-old daughter had been raped at a residence in Landers some three weeks earlier.

During Ables’ interview with the unidentified victim, she was able to get a positive identification of Alaniz. One day later, Ables made contact with Alaniz. During that interview, Ables was able to obtain the necessary evidence needed to support the victim’s allegations.

Shortly after 5 p.m., Alaniz was arrested and taken to the Morongo Basin Jail on charges of rape. His bail amount was set at $250,000. Charges were later amended to included unlawful sex with a child under 18. Law enforcement officials did not disclose the evidence taken into account that led to Alaniz’s arrest. Neither the actual date nor the account of the incident were disclosed, though according to reports, the victim might have been lured to the residence at which the assault occurred.

The incident took place on the 3900 block of Shawnee Trail in Landers. Landers, a Mojave Desert community with less than 3,000 population, is approximately 20 miles from Yucca Valley, which is located in the southern portion of San Bernardino County.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Bail was increased to $2 million on Tuesday for a Chinese man who has been accused of abusing his infant son, causing the baby to fall into a coma.

Weifeng Tang, 32, was in court on Tuesday to face charges after being arrested by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies on Aug. 7. Tang and his wife are citizens of China. Forensic pediatricians from Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Children’s Medical Center contacted the sheriff’s dept. on August 6 after the parents brought the two-month-old to the hospital at 10 a.m. on Aug. 3.

Medical reports said he was experiencing unexplained seizures, vomiting and uncontrollable limb movement. Further examination revealed traumatic brain injury, causing blood to pool in the brain cavity, which deprived the infant of oxygen needed to sustain brain life. The parents were interviewed, said Detective David Clifford, a member of the Crimes against Children Detail. The investigation determined the infant had “endured two individual acts of being shaken and ultimately suffered from shaken baby syndrome” – also known as abusive head trauma.

Last reports were that the child is currently in a coma state, being treated for extensive brain damage. Investigators also determined that Tang delayed taking his son to the hospital for two days, likely making the case worse.
“The long term effects of the injury are unknown,” said Clifford, adding that the loss of oxygen to the brain has likely caused irreparable damage. “Shaking can lead to severe brain injury,” he said, “and other psychological injuries” and possibly death.

The couple, who reside on the 10900 block of Terra Vista Parkway in Rancho Cucamonga, have one other child and came to the United States to have their second child, according to Clifford. That second child is the victim.
Weng is charged with child abuse with great bodily injury resulting in a comatose state, paralysis of a child under eight. The mother, unnamed, was not arrested.

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A man in San Bernardino County has been accused of having not a little cockfighting ring, but rather a cockfighting empire, as he reportedly raised 529 roosters to participate in illegal cockfighting.

On Monday, August 11  Eugenio Carbonel, 54, was arrested at his home on the 8400 Block of Redwood Avenue for hosting illegal cockfighting on his large property.

According to authorities, Most of the animals found on the property had to be euthanized. Five roosters that were spared will be used as evidence. During the investigation, they also found various cockfighting items such as metal gaffs, training mitts, veterinary medical supplies, wound treatment, and fowl transport carriers.

Some of the cockfighting items that were found during the investigation.

The investigation was conducted with the Fontana Sheriff’s Station, Fontana Police Animal Services, San Bernardino County Animal Control, Humane Society of the San Bernardino Valley, San Bernardino County Code Enforcement, and San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.

Carbonel was booked at West Valley Detention Center for Possession of Game Birds for Fighting and Possession of Cockfighting Implements. He was later released  from jail on Tuesday.

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VICTORVILLE – A break-in suspect caught by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies died following a physical altercation, including several tasers being fired in a Tuesday incident. An in-custody death investigation is taking place.

Dante Parker, 36, of Victorville was reported to be breaking into a residence in the 13000 block of Bucknell Court at 4:47 p.m. Parker fled the scene on a bicycle, the victim told the responding law enforcement officer, and the deputy eventually made contact. According to reports, the deputy attempted to detain Parker for the attempted break-in, believing the suspect to be under the influence of an unknown substance. A physical altercation ensued as Parker resisted, according to the deputy’s report.

The deputy, who is not identified, used a taser gun multiple times while trying to place Parker in custody. Additional deputies eventually arrived to help the struggling officer. Eventually, the suspect was brought under control, handcuffed and placed into the backseat of a patrol unit.

Deputies observed Parker sweating profusely, also appeared to be having difficulty breathing. Medical aid was requested at the scene. While Parker was conscious, he was described as incoherent while receiving medical treatment at a nearby Victor Valley Global Hospital. Parker died while in treatment. The Sheriff’s Homicide Detail was brought into the investigation while neighboring Riverside County will conduct the official autopsy. According to San Bernardino County policy, the neighboring county conducts the autopsy in every incident for in-custody deaths.

Homicide Detail detectives Mike Flores and Tina Kirby are conducting the investigation for San Bernardino County. Other than being tasered, along with the struggles with deputies, no other injuries were reported being suffered by Parker.

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SAN BERNARDINO – A missing pregnant woman, who disappeared in June, was discovered in a mine shaft on Saturday. Erin Corwin, 20, was the victim of a homicide, said San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon, who made the announcement at a Monday noon press conference. The suspect, who is Corwin’s alleged lover, Christopher Brandon Lee, 24, was arrested in Alaska and is being held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex, according to law enforcement officials.

Corwin disappeared on June 28, reportedly heading for Joshua Tree National Park, which is just a few miles from her Twentynine Palms home. She lived there with her husband, who is a U.S. Marine assigned at the Twentynine Palms U.S. Marine Air Base Combat Center. Ever since Corwin, then 19, had disappeared, an investigation eventually revealed sordid details about the relationship that both she and Lee had engaged in; both are married to others.

Friends and neighbors told investigators that Corwin and Lee had been intimate, though the suspect first denied being romantically linked to the victim. In affidavits to law enforcement investigators, Lee then admitted to kissing Corwin. One of Corwin’s friends from her native Tennessee told investigators that she was afraid that Lee was the father of her unborn child. Evidence began linking Corwin’s disappearance to Lee, who admitted to being in Joshua Tree National Park on June 28, the same time as Corwin had visited the park.

The investigation into her disappearance took nearly eight weeks, and the search area covered about 300 square miles. With help from volunteers, who put in 5,000 collective hours, the search teams covered areas in Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms and the Marine Base, Amboy, and Bureau of Land Management territory. Technical Cave and Mine Teams and Specialized Dive Teams explored areas identified in aerial searches.

The break came last Saturday, when the teams searching the Rose of Peru Mining District. Brooklyn Mining District, and Los Angeles Mining District located the body using video equipment. They detected it in a mine shaft 140 feet down at at 4:30 in the afternoon. On Sunday, San Bernardino County Fire Urban Search and Rescue were called on to assist in the recovery, which was finally completed at 6:30 pm. By 9:30 that night the Forensic Odontologist was able to make a positive identification of Erin Corwin using dental records. That led to the 10 pm arrest of Lee in Alaska.

According to affidavits, detectives believe Lee’s motive for killing Corwin was to keep his wife, Nicole, from discovering the affair. The Lees also have a child. Lee is a former marine originally from Anchorage, which is where he moved shortly after Corwin’s disappearance. He spent seven years in the Corps before being honorably discharged. The Lees and Corwins lived next door to each other on the marine base.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officials served warrants at various locations. It led to Lee’s arrest on a separate charge for possession of an illegal firearm. Investigators believed that his weapon capability was likely used to harm Corwin. Federal agents will reportedly deliver Lee back to California on charges.

SAN BERNARDINO – County District Attorney Mike Ramos might have inadvertently offered a clue as to how dozens of law enforcement officers and volunteers discovered the whereabouts of a pregnant 20-year-old woman who had been missing since June 28.

Appearing on KFI’s John & Ken Show, a radio program based out of Los Angeles, Ramos was unable to acknowledge evidence that led to the discovery of Erin Corwin’s body, found last Saturday at the bottom of a 140-foot mine shaft. “We’re still in the investigation stages,” said Ramos, who spent about seven minutes discussing the case against Christopher Brandon Lee, 24, an ex-Marine who was linked to Corwin through inconsistent statements and witness statements of neighbors and friends.

One key element of the case was how Corwin’s body was discovered in a vast range of desert and an estimated 100 deserted mine shafts that are located near Joshua Tree National Forest, the area in which Corwin was headed on the day she went missing. Ramos said he was unable to divulge how Corwin’s body was located, but stated that Corwin’s car, discovered in early July, had her footprints leading to a Jeep with tire tracks that matched that of Lee’s vehicle.

Search teams were able to start from that general area, said Ramos. Using technology, electronic devices and cellular phones, experts were able to zero in on Corwin’s location. Ramos also disclosed that evidence showed that Lee, who was romantically linked to Corwin despite earlier denials to the contrary, had done research on ways to get rid of a human body. Witnesses told investigators that Lee had asked on ways to dispose of a body; also, he had researched possible ways on the internet.

Corwin’s body was discovered on Saturday, but her identity wasn’t determined until the next day. At 10 p.m. in Anchorage, Alaska, law enforcement officials arrested Lee for murder. Lee, who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps, moved with his wife Nicole and their infant daughter back to Alaska, where he was from. “The FBI knew his whereabouts,” said Ramos, adding that local law enforcement agencies also had knowledge on his location. Ramos did not disclose how Corwin was killed, nor was he able to offer any ideas about possible motives, awaiting an autopsy report.

Lee, who will be charged with murder and also on charges of lying in wait for a victim, will be extradited to California, likely in about one month. Charges may also be filed against his wife. Lee and Corwin were neighbors at the Twentynine Palms Marine base. The case has received national publicity, with Corwin’s wedding photos – married to U.S. Marine Corporal Jonathan Corwin – on the cover of People Magazine. Law enforcement officials offered huge praise to the volunteers who scoured hundreds of miles of desert, including the abandoned mines, to locate Corwin’s body. Investigators had lowered a camera into the mine shaft as part of the search process.

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HAWTHORNE, CA—There’s no place like home–especially when that is the first place police look when picking up people for a handful of outstanding warrants.

Lois Sharrell Pearson, 33, was arrested by Hawthorne police officers on Thursday, August 14 at approximately 5:15 p.m. She was stopped at the corner of 126th Street and Hawthorne Boulevard in Hawthorne and apparently found to have a number of warrants from as far away as San Bernardino.

126th and Hawthorne Boulevard

It is presumed that she was sought for the outstanding warrants as police records indicated no new charges.

There were two warrants from San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department: grand theft of money or property exceeding $400 (487(A)PC) and forgery/false checks (470(D)PC). Total bail from San Bernardino was $500,000.

Closer to home, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) also had two warrants on her: possession of narcotic controlled substances (11350(A)HS) and trespassing on residential property (602.5(A)PC). Only one bail charge was noted (trespassing) and it was for a relatively pithy $25,000.

At least her family and friends will have easy visitation rights.

SAN BERNARDINO – A 31-year-old police officer, fighting for his life, was listed in grave condition after a shooting early Friday morning.

Gabriel Garcia, who was shot by a member of a criminal street gang based on nearby Redlands on Friday night. The gunman, Alex David Alvarado, 38, of San Bernardino was shot and killed while five suspects have been detained. Police arrested Johnathon Contreras, 20, as an accessory in the shooting. Orlando Cruz, 24, was also arrested for outstanding traffic warrants, said police. Three others, including two women and a man, have not yet been identified by police.

Reports are that Garcia was shot with an assault rifle during a gun battle that broke out. Garcia, along with a police trainee, came across six individuals walking near 19th St. and Garner Ave., two blocks east of Mt. Vernon Ave., according to reports. When the two officers got out of their patrol car, one individual opened fire.

The trainee, who was just out of the academy for two months, shot and killed Alvarado, who died at the scene. An AK-47 rifle and a revolver were discovered next to his body, both recovered by police. A sawed-off rifle was believed to have been used to shoot Garcia, said police. Three guns were reportedly involved.

Alvarado, who was not on probation or parole, had a significant arrest record, according to police. Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said the suspects had met earlier at a local club, had drinks, then went to the spot where the shooting eventually took place. The area is surrounded by a railroad yard and the 215 freeway.

Bullets could be heard by residents from the automatic rifle, according to reports. Witnesses told police that the shooter, Alvarado, just kept firing, refusing to get down. The trainee that returned fire was not identified by police. According to the coroner, Alvarado died at 3:47 a.m.

Garcia, who was shot once in the head according to Lt. Rich Lawhead, was eventually taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, where he underwent surgery. He started with San Bernardino police in 2008, according to Lawhead. Garcia’s father, Ron Garcia, is a captain for San Bernardino PD.

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SAN BERNARDINO – Fourteen people were arrested and law enforcement agencies seized over 5,500 marijuana plants over a two-day raid last week that took place over a wide area of San Bernardino County. Search warrants were served to unincorporated areas throughout the county, including Helendale, Landers, Joshua Tree and Bloomington. Each of the locations were found to have large scale outdoor marijuana cultivations.

Those arrested were from all across California, including two from Mexico. On Monday, the county sheriff’s identified the suspects taken in the raids. Police arrested Carlos Gonzalez, 41, of Los Angeles; Angie Colindrez, 19, of L.A.; Manuel Perez, 48, of L.QA., and Andres Marques, 39, of L.A.; Jose Rascon, 60, of Bloomington, Thoneko Sounannavong, 55, of Fresno, Alex Apyayboun, 46, of Sacramento; Xayadeth Kayavong, 38, of Fresno; Athith Kayavong, 35, of Fresno; Phouthone Khaithianthong, 52, of Porterville; Lee Callan, 58, of Landers; Aquilino Villasenor, 50, of Mexico; Roberto Zavalla, 44, of Bakersfield; and Manuel Madrigal-Castillo, 21, of Mexico.

The investigation revealed that marijuana plants were growing in unsecured fenced-in areas, referred to as Plywood Grows. A total of 5,557 marijuana plants were seized, along with 171.5 pounds of processed marijuana, four firearms, including two sawed off shot guns, one in which the serial number had been removed. They also seized a large quantity of Hydrocodone pills. They were all deemed illegal grows, according to law enforcement officials, who also reported that many of the suspects were using fictitious medical marijuana recommendations in an effort to deceive investigators into believing operations were legitimate.

San Bernardino County’s ordinance, which prohibits outdoor marijuana cultivations, highlighted the illegal activity that was taking place. On Aug. 20, Gonzalez, Colindrez, Perez and Marquez were arrested at the 67000 block of Daisy Ln. and Joshua Tree where 779 marijuana plants and two pounds of processed marijuana were seized. That same day on the 18000 block of 8th St. in Bloomington, 40 marijuana plants were seized and Rascon was arrested. Investigators determined that the Daisy Ln. and 8th St. locations were related to each other.

In Landers, Sounannavong was arrested on the 500 block of Lambert Rd. where 95 marijuana plants were seized. That was just one of five separate locations in Landers that was raided. Aphayboun was arrested on the 100 block of Bowman Trail with 403 marijuana plants seized. The Kayavong’s were arrested on the 1000 block of Yucca Mesa Rd., where 1,579 marijuana plants were seized. On the 59000 block of Reche Rd., 566 marijuana plants were seized and Khaithianthong was arrested.

Callan was arrested on the 5700 block of Linn Rd., said investigators, taking 30 marijuana plants and 34 pounds of processed marijuana and 73 Hydrocodone pills. On Aug. 21, on an undeveloped property parcel on Wild Rd. in Helendale, 761 marijuana plants, 15.5 pounds of processed marijuana, one 45-caliber handgun and a sawed off shotgun with the serial number removed were seized by law enforcement. Villasenior, Zavala and Madrigual-Castillo were taken into custody.

The final location, at the 29000 block of Wild Rd. in Helendale, no suspects were arrested but 1,304 marijuana plants were seized, as well as 120 pounds of processed marijuana and a sawed off shotgun.

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VICTORVILLE – San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two teenagers last week who are believed to be responsible for a string of commercial burglaries that took place for nearly a month.

Marquino Estrada, 18, of nearby Adelanto, along with a 17-year-old male accomplice, are the suspects arrested. They are not only accused of the burglaries, but for smashing windows and prying open doors to gain access into closed businesses.

Estrada is expected to appear in court this week, officials said. In addition, say reports, they stole cash registers and merchandise. A total of six businesses were identified in the crimes, according to reports.
An extensive joint investigation between both the Victorville and Hesperia Sheriff’s stations ultimately identified Estrada and the 17-year-old juvenile as the parties responsible.

Among the targeted businesses include Burger King, El Pollo Loco, Just Grill It and one other restaurant, the Golden Gate, along with Nancy’s Hair Inn. Each business was located either on the 14000 block of Seventh St. in Victorville or the 15000 block of Bear Valley Rd. in Hesperia.

Sheriff’s investigators said the crimes occurred between July 26 and Aug. 21. Before Aug. 2, law enforcement agencies were receiving multiple complaints for burglaries that had been committed in both Victorville and neighboring Hesperia. Thousands of dollars in losses were caused to loss of property and property damages to the various business owners.

Estrada, who is being held on $175,000 bail for theft related charges, was being held at the High Desert Detention Center. The juvenile was being held at a juvenile detention center.

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JOSHUA TREE – The man suspected of luring a pregnant woman to her death appeared in a San Bernardino Superior Court on Tuesday.

Christopher Brandon Lee pleaded not guilty to murdering Erin Corwin, a 20-year-old who was reported missing on June 28. The wife of a marine, Jonathan Corwin, investigators believe that Erin was pregnant with Lee’s child.

Lee, whose attorney was David Kaloyanides, will be held without bail due to the special circumstances charges that accompany his accusations. The special circumstances relate to charges that he lied in wait in connection to Corwin’s death, whose body was discovered at the bottom of a deserted mine shaft. Evidence in the case will be evaluated on Sept. 16. Lee did not make a statement in court.

Corwin’s June 28 disappearance set in motion a massive manhunt that took place over 300 square miles of the Mojave Desert, a search that took place over a seven-week span. Authorities determined that Lee had researched methods to get rid of a human body, information that might have led to the discovery of her body. She was found 140-feet beneath the entry of the mine, concluding a search that included  volunteers from search and rescue teams.

During that time, investigators discovered that Corwin and Lee were having an extra-marital affair, in which a pregnancy likely resulted. Several warrants were served and investigators searched Lee’s home, automobiles and other locations. Investigators discovered fired cartridge casings recovered from Lee’s Jeep and also at his former residence in Twentynine Palms.

Investigators also located pieces of rebar near where Corwin’s body was discovered which were consistent with pieces found from Lee’s vehicle. There has been no information yet released on Corwin’s cause of death. Lee, who was living in Alaska at the time of his arrest, was extradited to California to face charges.

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