Posts Tagged ‘assault’

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Dance Instructor Convicted of Rape Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

LOS ANGELES – A salsa dance instructor who worked as a choreographer on the FOX television show “So You Think You Can Dance” was sentenced today to 10 years in state prison for raping one female victim and assaulting another with intent to rape.

Judge Kathleen Kennedy, who denied a defense motion for a new trial, ordered Alex Da Silva, 43, to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Deputy District Attorney Martha Carrillo with the Sex Crimes Division prosecuted the case.

Judge Kennedy said it was clear Da Silva “does not respect women” and “believes he is entitled to do whatever he wants when he wants.”

A jury in September convicted Da Silva of raping a 22-year-old woman in August 2002 and assaulting a 25-year-old woman in March 2009 with intent to commit rape. The victims were either dancers or aspiring dancers who met him through his dance instruction classes.

The jury was hung on four counts involving two additional female victims and Judge Kennedy today dismissed those charges.

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CAUCASIAN MAN CONVICTED FOR UNPROVOKED HATE CRIME ATTACK OF TWO HISPANIC MEN

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

SANTA ANA - A Caucasian man was convicted yesterday for attacking two Hispanic men without provocation outside of a 7-Eleven. Chad Martin Jurjaks, 31, Costa Mesa, pleaded guilty to the court Jan. 19, 2012, to two felony counts of hate crime battery causing injury. Jurjaks is expected to be sentenced Feb. 17, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-29, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on March 5, 2011, 42-year-old John Doe, his wife, cousin, and 26-year-old nephew John Doe #2, were walking to the doors of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Costa Mesa. The victims are Hispanic. Jurjaks, who is Caucasian, was intoxicated and confronted the victims as they approached. Jurjaks then attacked the victims without provocation and yelled “F****** Mexicans!” three times as he punched John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 one time each in the head.

Jurjaks then walked away and the victims called 911. Costa Mesa Police officers arrived at the scene and arrested the defendant near the convenience store.

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Long Beach Police Officer Charged with Domestic Violence

Friday, January 20th, 2012

LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach police officer is schedule to be arraigned this afternoon on multiple counts of assaulting and threatening his wife, the District Attorney’s office announced.

Brandon Preciado, 29 (dob 9-4-82), was charged today with 21 counts, including 10 counts of corporal injury to a spouse, nine felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon and making a criminal threat, all felonies, and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.

The alleged assaults occurred between Sept. 18, 2011 and Jan. 12 in the couple’s Pico Rivera home, said Deputy District Attorney Jason Lustig with the Justice System Integrity Division.

During the early morning hours before his arrest on Jan. 12, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputies tried for more than five hours to get Preciado to exit his residence. He surrendered at 7 a.m. Lustig said one misdemeanor resisting arrest count was filed to account for that conduct.

Preciado is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon at the Criminal Courts Building, Department 30. He was charged in case BA392869. He is being held on $130,000 bail.

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TWO MEN SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR HATE CRIME ATTACK FOR BEATING AND KICKING ROBBERY VICTIM WHILE YELLING ANTI-SEMITIC SLURS

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

SANTA ANA - Two men were sentenced today to three years in state prison for a violent hate crime attack for beating, kicking and stealing from a victim while yelling anti-Semitic slurs in a Coto de Caza park. Matthew Gregory Branstetter, 19, and Nolan John Wickham, 20, both of Rancho Santa Margarita, pleaded guilty to one felony count each of aggravated assault and grand theft from a person with sentencing enhancements for committing a hate crime in concert with others and causing great bodily injury.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. on April 6, 2011, Branstetter and Wickham approached 23-year-old John Doe in a Coto de Caza park.  The victim, who recognized Branstetter as an acquaintance, was sitting alone at a picnic table eating and drinking.

The defendants briefly spoke with the victim before demanding his money and possessions. When John Doe said that he had nothing to give them, the defendants began yelling anti-Semitic slurs and attacked the victim. The defendants continued to yell anti-Semetic slurs as they repeatedly kicked and punched John Doe. They then stole his cell phone and jacket and fled the scene.

The victim went in and out of consciousness throughout the attack and awoke after the defendants had fled. He managed to stumble back to his nearby home, where his father saw the victim’s condition and called 911. John Doe was taken to Mission Hospital, where it was determined that he suffered a concussion, broken jaw, eye socket fracture, broken nose, cracked ribs, severe facial bruising, and cuts and bruises to his body and face.

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MAN FACES TRIAL FOR ROBBERY-MURDER OF MARRIED FATHER OF TWO AFTER GAINING ACCESS TO HOME WITH PROMISE OF SEX

Sunday, December 4th, 2011

SANTA ANA - A man faces trial tomorrow for the bludgeoning-murder of a married father of two in order to rob him under the pretense of meeting for sex. Jaime Jezzuel Lopez, 29, Garden Grove, is charged with one felony count of special circumstances murder in the commission of a robbery and faces a sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.  Opening statements are expected to begin tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, at 9:15 a.m. in Department C-30, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

On the morning of June 4, 2007, Rejinold Harry, 45, a married father of two sons, invited Lopez to his one bedroom Fullerton apartment while the victim’s two sons were at school and his wife was at work. Lopez is accused of entering the apartment under the pretense of having sex with the victim with the intention of robbing him.

After Harry had undressed, Lopez is accused of murdering him by hitting him multiple times in the back of the head with a heavy object. He is accused of then ransacking the apartment, stealing money and jewelry, and fleeing the scene.

At 1:30 p.m., Harry’s naked, murdered body was found lying face down on the bed by his wife.

The case was investigated by the Fullerton Police Department, but went cold.

In 2008, Lopez was linked to the murder through DNA found at the crime scene on the rim of a drinking glass.

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Whittier Man Pleads in Pit Bull Attack on Man

Sunday, November 27th, 2011

NORWALK — A Whittier father who unleashed the family pit bull on a man during a fight pleaded no contest today and was sentenced to three years in state prison, the District Attorney’s office announced.

Richard Rudy Aragon, 52, pleaded no contest to one count of assault with a deadly weapon likely to produce great bodily injury and admitted the great bodily injury allegation before Judge Margaret Bernal, said Deputy District Attorney Michael Derose. He was immediately sentenced to prison, and will serve his time in prison under the new state law.

In exchange for his plea, two additional felony counts, including mayhem and another count of assault with a deadly weapon, were dismissed.

Aragon and his 17-year-old son were charged in the June 25th attack after the son allegedly confronted a 43-year-old man and demanded his wallet. The man refused and the pair began fighting in front of Crestwood Apartments in the 8900 block of Painter Avenue, near Lambert Road, Whittier Police Department said.

Aragon came to the boy’s assistance and released the pit bull, who bit both ear tips off the victim. The suspects also allegedly punched and kicked the victim while the dog attacked, police said.

Prosecutors are seeking to have the son, whose name is not being released because of his age, tried as an adult on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, a foot, with force likely to inflict great bodily injury, one count of attempted robbery and one count of witness intimidation.

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Los Angeles Man Charged in Train Station Stabbing

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

LOS ANGELES – A 25-year-old man is awaiting extradition from Ohio to face charges for the alleged stabbing of a man and woman at a Metro Red Line station, the District Attorney’s Office announced today.

Deputy District Attorney Lisa El-Farra said Lang David Dunbar (dob 7/18/86) of Los Angeles is charged with two counts of attempted murder with an allegation that the attack was willful, deliberate and premeditated. Dunbar also faces two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, a box cutter, and one count of mayhem.

A criminal complaint for arrest warrant filed today alleges that Dunbar personally inflicted great bodily injury upon a male victim and personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon in the attack. The charging document also alleges that this is a serious, violent felony that warrants a state prison term.

Dunbar is charged in case No. BA390831. He is expected to be arraigned pending extradition from Cleveland, where he is in custody following his arrest by Ohio authorities on Nov. 12.

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MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING OFFICER BY DRAGGING HIM SEVERAL FEET WITH CAR WHILE FLEEING TRAFFIC STOP

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING OFFICER BY DRAGGING HIM SEVERAL FEET WITH CAR WHILE FLEEING TRAFFIC STOP

WESTMINSTER - A man will be arraigned today for assaulting a police officer with his car by dragging the officer several feet in an effort to flee a traffic stop. Marcos Gonzalez, 28, Fullerton, is charged with one felony count of assault of a police officer with sentencing enhancements for causing great bodily injury and having a prior conviction for possession for sale of a controlled substance in 2007. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of nine years in state prison.  The People will be requesting Gonzalez be held on $250,000 bail at his arraignment today, Monday, Nov. 7, 2011, at 1:30 p.m. in Department W-14 or W-15, West Justice Center, Westminster.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 2, 2011, Gonzalez is accused of being pulled over by Garden Grove Police Officer Starnes in a routine traffic stop. Officer Starnes approached the defendant’s window and noticed an odor of marijuana from Gonzalez’s vehicle during the contact. At the request of the officer, Gonzalez is accused of getting out of his vehicle.

While Officer Starnes called for back-up, Gonzalez is accused of rushing back into the driver’s seat of his car.  Officer Starnes attempted to stop the defendant by preventing him from getting into the vehicle, but was knocked down after being hit by the driver’s side door.

Knowing that Officer Starnes was hanging outside the vehicle, Gonzalez is accused attempting to drive away and flee, dragging Officer Starnes several feet before the officer fell to the ground. Gonzalez is accused of then fleeing the scene.

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MAN CONVICTED OF MURDERING GIRLFRIEND’S 9-MONTH-OLD SON WHILE BABYSITTING BY CRUSHING BABY’S HEAD AGAINST WALL

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

SANTA ANA - A man was convicted today of murdering his girlfriend’s 9-month-old son by causing fractures to the child’s skull to make him stop crying.  Alexander Lucas Barnes, 20, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of second degree murder and one felony count of child abuse resulting in death. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison at his sentencing Jan. 13, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-30, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

On Oct. 6, 2009, Barnes was babysitting his girlfriend’s 9-month-old baby Isaiah Prim-Ortiz for the first time while his girlfriend went to class at a nearby community college. Barnes was the primary caregiver for the victim while at the defendant’s mother’s house. The defendant was not baby Isaiah’s biological father.

Late that morning, the defendant became angry with the victim for crying. He abused the baby by crushing the victim’s head against a wall, causing blunt force trauma and multiple fractures to both sides of the head. The defendant then put the victim back in his crib. Baby Isaiah was fatally injured and stopped breathing.

Shortly after 1:00 p.m., the defendant’s mother went to check on baby Isaiah and discovered that he was not breathing. The victim was transported to the hospital and was pronounced dead at 4:07 p.m. as a result of multiple skull fractures.

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MAN FACES TRIAL FOR MURDERING GIRLFRIEND’S 9-MONTH-OLD SON WHILE BABYSITTING

Monday, October 24th, 2011

SANTA ANA - A man faces trial tomorrow for murdering his girlfriend’s 9-month-old son by causing fractures to the child’s skull to make him stop crying.  Alexander Lucas Barnes, 20, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of murder and one felony count of child abuse resulting in death. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. Opening statements are expected to begin tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, at 9:15 a.m. in Department C-30, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

On Oct. 6, 2009, Barnes is accused of babysitting his girlfriend’s 9-month-old baby Isaiah Prim-Ortiz for the first time while his girlfriend went to class at a nearby community college. Barnes is accused of being the primary caregiver for the victim’s care while at the defendant’s mother’s house. The defendant was not baby Isaiah’s biological father.

That morning, the defendant is accused of becoming angry with the victim for crying. He is accused of abusing the baby and causing blunt force trauma to the victim’s head.

At approximately 1:00 p.m., the defendant is accused of putting the baby down for a nap.  The defendant’s mother went to check on baby Isaiah and discovered that he was not breathing.

The victim was transported to the hospital and was pronounced dead at 4:00 p.m. as a result of three separate skull fractures. Barnes is accused of murdering the baby by causing the injuries that resulted in his death.

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