U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. announces committee to review innocence claims

By City News Service

Aformer resident of Westminster pleaded guilty Monday in the District of Columbia to a felony charge for assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Kevin Galetto, 63, now of Merritt Island, Florida, will be sentenced Aug. 8, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.

Around 2:40 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, Galetto approached the lower west terrace tunnel entrance of the Capitol wearing a black Donald J. Trump baseball hat, a black headband/ear warmer, and a tan jacket, according to federal prosecutors.

Galetto was one of the first people inside the tunnel and was met with a large police presence denying entrance into the building. When confronted by the police officers in the tunnel entrance, Galetto and others engaged in acts of violence, prosecutors said.

Evidence from police body cameras captured Galetto at the tunnel entrance, arms extended and pressed up against officer shields. Shortly afterward, after an officer was knocked to the ground, Galetto was filmed on one knee with a hand on the ground, evidence showed.

Less than a minute later, Galetto rose to his feet and retreated from the area of the tunnel. As he made his way from the inside to the tunnel entrance, Galetto shouted to the crowd outside, "More people!" in an attempt to summon more rioters to the tunnel entrance, federal prosecutors said.

Galetto remained at the tunnel for over an hour and a half and was part of one of the last pushes against officers. His violent confrontation with officers as part of the crowd presented "an immediate risk of injury to person or damage to property," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.

On the evening of Jan. 6, 2021, Galetto texted someone on his cell phone that the politicians "need to be overthrown," and that then-Vice President Mike Pence is a traitor, misspelling it as "trader," according to prosecutors.

Galetto was arrested on April 23, 2021, in Westminster.

In the 26 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anew position to address ethics and post-conviction issues and a related committee to review innocence claims brought by defendants convicted in the Central District of California were announced Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

The ethics and postconviction review position will, among other things, oversee the work of the office's ethics and professional responsibility officers, coordinate the investigation of claims of prosecutorial misconduct, and review responses to requests for pardons and commutations, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said.

The conviction integrity committee will consider claims of factual innocence. The ethics chief will chair the committee, which will include Estrada and other highly placed officials.

The new process to review claims of factual innocence is partly modeled on committees in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere throughout the country, Estrada said.

"Our foremost duty as federal prosecutors is to achieve justice," Estrada said in a statement.

"Therefore, while we will continue to do everything in our power to protect the public and uphold the rule of law, we will also do all we can to ensure the integrity of our convictions, as well as the fairness of sentences. Transparency in the criminal justice system is important. While wrongful convictions are rare, we will carefully review -- and, when appropriate, fully investigate -- any claim that the facts of a case do not support a conviction. We are committed to obtaining fair and just outcomes in each and every case we prosecute."

Estrada added that the conviction integrity committee also will serve as "an opportunity for my office to continually review our work as prosecutors and will buttress all of the policies and procedures designed to prevent wrongful convictions."

Estrada said the postconviction review position will be held by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison L. Westfahl Kong, who will also chair the integrity committee. Westfahl Kong has been a federal prosecutor for 10 years, most recently serving as the chief of trials, integrity, and professionalism.

"Allison is an experienced prosecutor, a respected legal thinker, and a consummate professional," Estrada said. "Her experience and judgment will ensure success in her new role."

Los Angeles

Pasadena

Pasadena HS placed on lockdown last week; replica gun allegedly found

A lockdown of Pasadena High School prompted by a report that a student had a gun was lifted Tuesday afternoon after a replica gun was found, officials said. Police went to the campus in the 2900 block of East Sierra Madre Boulevard late Tuesday morning. Some students thought they saw another student with a gun and authorities were notified, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. The lockdown was lifted early Tuesday afternoon for all but a small part of the campus as a search continued to determine if a weapon was on the school grounds. The lockdown was fully lifted later Tuesday after the replica gun was found, Derderian said.

Glendale

Glendale battalion chief alleges COVID shots were given to officials early

A Glendale Fire Department battalion chief is suing the city, alleging he was subjected to a backlash when he reported that the thenfire chief was ordering him to provide the coronavirus vaccine in the early states of its release to city officials who were not yet eligible by law. Brian Julian's Los Angeles Superior Court retaliation suit seeks unspecified damages.

A Glendale city official did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Tuesday. Julian was hired in September 1995 and rose through the ranks until he became a battalion chief in December 2016, then three years later he was promoted again to have the same rank within the GFD's Emergency Medical Services, the suit states.

Burbank Burbank house damaged by flames

It took Burbank firefighters 15 minutes to put out a house fire Saturday. The fire was reported at 4:12 p.m. in the 100 block of South Reese Place, near the intersection of Olive and Verdugo avenues, according to a Twitter post by the Burbank Fire Department. First arriving firefighters reported heavy flames and smoke showing from the rear of the single-story house, fire officials said. Two additional Burbank Fire Department engines and an ambulance were added to the first-alarm response and firefighters attacked the flames while searching to make sure no one was inside, officials said..

Long Beach Man assaulted, stabbed in Long Beach

A man in Long Beach was assaulted Saturday, then stabbed during an attack that began in a vehicle and continued when he fled and was stabbed by another suspect, authorities said. "The victim stated he was an occupant in a vehicle when a female adult suspect that was also in the vehicle took his property and battered him," the Long Beach Police Department said in a statement. "The victim exited the vehicle and was approached by a male adult suspect who stabbed him." Officers were dispatched to the location in the area of East Ocean and Long Beach boulevards at about 3 a.m. Saturday regarding a report of a stabbing. Paramedics rushed the victim to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Orange County

Orange County

Commercial blaze put out in Santa Ana

Orange County Fire Authority firefighters put out a blaze in a Santa Ana auto parts store in five minutes Monday morning. The fire was reported at 3:32 a.m. in the 1000 block of East Sixth Street, according to an OCFA tweet. The caller reported seeing flames through the roof of the building. Firefighters arrived and quickly knocked down the flames, fire officials said. No injuries were reported and the cause was under investigation, the officials said.

Anaheim

Anaheim tax preparer pleads guilty to COVID-19 unemployment fraud

An Anaheim tax preparer pleaded guilty Wednesday for her part in an unemployment insurance scam during the COVID-19 pandemic involving four state prisoners. Sandra Pineda, 37, pleaded guilty to 72 felony counts that include perjury, false statement, conspiracy and money laundering. She also admitted sentencing enhancements for aggravated white-collar crime exceeding $500,000. Pineda was scheduled to be sentenced May 19. Pineda was accused of filing bogus unemployment claims for Leonel Hernandez, 35, who has been in Kern Valley state prison since February 2010 for murder, prosecutors said.

Riverside

Riverside County

Riverside County man who assaulted girlfriend, led police on freeway chase headed to prison

A Whitewater man who threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and led law enforcement officers on a chase along Interstate 10, leveling a handgun at his pursuers, was bound for state prison Friday to serve a seven-year, four-month sentence. Jairo Santiago Chaides, 37, pleaded guilty Thursday to exhibiting a firearm at a peace officer, being a convicted felon in possession of a gun, felony evading and domestic violence. Under the plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, three related charges were dismissed. During a hearing at the Banning Justice Center, Superior Court Judge Mark Singerton certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.

Riverside

Man, 20s, shot in Riverside

A man in his 20s was shot Saturday in Riverside. The man was reported with a possible gunshot wound around 11:35 a.m. Saturday in the 4300 block of Briggs Street, in a residential neighborhood near the Jensen Alvarado Historic Ranch and Museum, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. "When deputies arrived, the subject was alert and breathing," said sheriff's Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez. The man was taken to the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury. There was no suspect information immediately available.

Corona Man accused of trying to kill Corona gym patron arraigned

A 30-year-old man accused of attacking a Corona fitness club patron with a hatchet and knife, injuring the victim until he was able to overpower the defendant, pleaded not guilty Friday to attempted murder and other charges. Ronald Vikash Chand of Santa Ana was arrested Tuesday inside the Planet Fitness at 3685 Grand Oaks, near Cajalco Road. Along with attempted murder, Chand is charged with assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury and vandalism.

San Bernardino

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County Rescue Task Force 6 reunites dogs after days on the run

One afternoon last week, crews from San Bernardino County Rescue Task Force 6 were staging at their shoring trailers in Lake Arrowhead Village when Capt. Joe De La

Torre of the San Manuel Fire Department was notified by citizens of two large dogs stuck on a second-story roof in the village. The citizens reported the dogs had been stuck on the roof for a few days and no one had been able to reach them. De La Torre slowly built trust with the dogs and guided them off the roof with food through an office window. Both were deemed unharmed and were guided back down to the parking lot. Due to the vigilance and efforts of fellow citizens, both dogs were eventually returned to their owner and are back home out of the elements.

San Bernardino Second Street Bridge opens in downtown San Bernardino

The city of San Bernardino celebrated the reopening of Second Street between Arrowhead Avenue and Mountain View Avenue on Tuesday, March 14, restoring vehicle and pedestrian traffic to a key downtown corridor. The road had been closed for three years for the demolition and reconstruction of the Second Street Bridge, which passes over Warm Creek and was found to have structural issues in 2020. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the bridge, Mayor Helen Tran stated, “I share in the excitement of our residents and businesses in the reopening of Second Street. It is a small bridge, but a big connection point.”.

Ontario

Shoplifting suspect struck on Ontario Freeway while fleeing deputies

A man suspected of shoplifting at a Kohl's department store in Eastvale was injured Saturday when he ran onto the Ontario (15) Freeway while fleeing sheriff's deputies. The alleged grand theft was reported to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department at 3:39 p.m. by the Kohl's store in the 12300 block of Limonite Avenue, according to Deputy W. BritoGonzalez. Two men were reported stealing merchandise from the store and they ran in two different directions when deputies arrived, she said.

M onrovia

March 9

At 12:26 p.m., a caller in the 100 block of East Palm reported a juvenile ran away. Officers responded and added the juvenile to the missing person system. This investigation is continuing.

At 4:31 p.m., a witness reported a traffic collision in the 1000 block of Royal Oaks. Officers and Paramedics arrived and checked the wellbeing of the occupants. Two occupants complained of pain. The driver at fault was issued a citation.

At 8:04 p.m., a witness reported a hit-and-run traffic collision in the 900 block of Monterey where a vehicle collided with two parked vehicles. The driver fled the scene but was followed by a witness, who was able to obtain the vehicle's license plate and relay it to MPD dispatch. The vehicle returned to a neighboring city. The neighboring jurisdiction checked the location but was unable to locate the vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

At 10:08 p.m., a caller in the 100 block of East Olive a male subject using drugs in his vehicle. Officers located the vehicle and observed a large bag of drug paraphernalia on the center console. The male subject was contacted and admitted to owning and using the drugs. The subject was arrested, issued a citation in the field, and released at the scene.

At 10:08 p.m., while officers were checking for a possible suspect vehicle from a previous call in the 100 block of East Olive, they observed a loaded handgun in a vehicle parked in the rear parking lot. The owner of the vehicle was located and consented to a search of his vehicle. The firearm returned registered to him. The owner was issued multiple CCWs from other states but did not currently have one from California. He was arrested, issued a citation, and released at the scene.

At 10:30 p.m., a victim in the 700 block of East Huntington reported his vehicle was broken into and his dog was taken. This investigation is continuing.

March 10

At 4:01 a.m., a caller reported a subject in the rear alley of the 400 block of West Lemon. The subject was banging on windows and making noise. Officers arrived and located the subject. The subject displayed signs and symptoms of being under the influence. He was placed under arrest. When officers tried to put him into the patrol vehicle, the subject resisted and would not cooperate. The jail van was called to the scene. The subject was transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

At 10:51 p.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Evergreen and Myrtle when he saw a motorist commit a traffic violation. He conducted a traffic stop and learned the driver had outstanding arrest warrants. He was arrested and taken into custody.

At 4:09 p.m. a resident in the 400 block of South Sunset called to report his home was broken into sometime during the day. This investigation is continuing.

At 9:49 a.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Foothill and Alta Vista regarding a possible DUI driver. Officers located the vehicle parked with the driver still inside. They spoke with the driver and observed signs of intoxication. After a field sobriety test was conducted, the driver was arrested and transported to MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

March 11

At 2:16 a.m., a caller in the 800 block of West Colorado reported a physical altercation between a male subject and a female subject. When officers arrived the parties were separated. An investigation revealed a child was currently staying at the location with the male subject. The female arrived and attempted to remove the child and assaulted the male subject. The male sustained injuries and bite marks on his arms. The female was arrest- ed and taken into custody.

At 3:17 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Peck and Live Oak when he saw a motorist commit a traffic violation. He stopped the driver and saw signs of intoxication. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

March 12

At 10:49 p.m., a caller reported that someone tried to steal her vehicle while she was at work in the 400 block of West Huntington. Her door handle was broken and the ignition was punched. This investigation is continuing.

March 13

At 8:45 a.m., a caller reported her vehicle was stolen sometime during the night. The vehicle was last seen in the 700 block of West Huntington. This investigation is continuing.

At 8:47 a.m., an employee from a business in the 200 block of West Huntington called to report a customer rented equipment and failed to return it. This investigation is continuing.

At 1:26 p.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Olive and Myrtle when he saw a motorist commit a traffic violation. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. The driver was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested, issued a citation and released at the scene.

At 5:05 p.m., a mother called from the 400 block of North Primrose to report that her adult son was suicidal. Officers responded and the son was already gone. He was entered as a missing person. Shortly before 6:30 p.m., the son returned. Officers responded again and based on his statements, he was transported to a medical facility for a mental evaluation. He was removed from the missing person system.

At 9:20 p.m., a business from the 1600 block of South

Mountain called regarding a shoplifter. The suspect stole power tools and was fleeing. Officers arrived and searched the area but the suspect was not located. This investigation is continuing.

March 14

At 4:18 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of California and Cherry when he contacted a subject. The subject was in possession of drug paraphernalia. A computer check revealed he was a wanted person. He was arrested and taken into custody.

At 7:18 p.m., an employee from the 500 block of West Huntington called regarding a shoplifter. The suspect took large amounts of clothing and shoes and fled. Officers responded to the area. Shortly thereafter, a caller from the 1200 block of South Alta Vista reported a suspicious person. He was located and identified as the theft suspect. The stolen property was recovered. He was arrested, cited, and released at the scene.

March 15

At 2:49 a.m., an officer observed a vehicle burglary in progress in the 100 block of West Olive. The suspect vehicle sped off and the officer followed. The officer pursued the vehicle onto the 605 freeway into Baldwin Park. When the vehicle came to a stop the driver was arrested and taken into custody.

At 2:32 p.m., a caller reported someone had stolen her wallet in the 500 block of West Huntington. This investigation is continuing.

At 2:59 p.m., a caller from the 600 block of East Colorado reported someone was sending her death threats on her cell phone and she was in fear for her life. This investigation is continuing.

At 9:36 p.m., a victim in the 200 block of East Palm reported that her boyfriend assaulted her. Officers arrived but the boyfriend had already left. The boyfriend had damaged property in the home and pulled the victim's hair. This investigation is continuing.

California Supreme Court won't hear case of man convicted in daughter's drowning

By City News Service

The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to review the case of a South Los Angeles man who is serving a potential life prison term for his 4-year-old daughter's drowning death in a walk-in bathtub.

Charles Richard Lee, now 27, was found guilty in October 2021 of one count each of second-degree murder and assault on a child causing death stemming from the Dec. 2, 2018, drowning of his daughter, Zaraellia Thompson.

In a ruling earlier this year, a three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense's contention that there was insufficient evidence to support Lee's conviction.

"Reviewing the record in the light most favorable to the prosecution, ample evidence supports a finding Lee held Zaraellia under the water until she drowned," the panel found in its Jan. 11 ruling. "In addition to the medical examiner's expert testimony that Zaraellia's contemporaneous injuries were consistent with being held against the bathtub, he also opined that such injuries are typically not seen in accidental drowning cases and most drowning victims are found floating face down in the water rather than resting their heads out of the water."

Lee spoke to Los Angeles Police Department detectives at the hospital where his daughter was taken and then went back to the house for a videotaped "re-creation" in which he told police that he briefly left the girl to get a towel and returned to find her unresponsive in the tub.

Firefighter/paramedic Jesse Pena, who responded to a 911 call about the girl's drowning, testified during the trial that he scooped up the girl from a dark bedroom and took her outside to a gurney, where he could see that she had "different types of wounds throughout her body."

"They were something that was very abnormal," Pena told jurors. "We saw the wounds. They were in different stages of healing."

Pena testified that the girl's father — who rode in the ambulance as she was taken to the hospital — initially said the other injuries were about two days old and then said they were about two weeks old.

The man explained that the girl had been to the beach with her mother and might have gotten an infection from the sand or water, and that she liked to sit next to a heater and could have burned herself, but that he didn't know how she had drowned, according to the prosecution's first witness.

The defendant's mother testified that Lee had introduced the girl to her as his daughter that year and that she didn't know anything was wrong that day until she heard the sound of fire engines.

The girl — who had been dropped off a few weeks earlier at her father's home and hadn't lived with him for the first years of her life — died at a hospital after paramedics were summoned to the house in the 1500 block of East 42nd Street.

Lee was arrested that day and has remained behind bars since then.

Deputy District Attorney Colby Cano told the downtown Los Angeles jury that the evidence against Lee was "overwhelming."

The prosecutor questioned whether it was "reasonable" to think that Zaraellia drowned "accidentally" and not as a result of Lee's conduct, given a series of fresh injuries and others, including scalding injuries, that Cano had described earlier as "days to weeks old."

Lee's trial attorney, Michael Many, countered that the girl's death was a "terrible accident."

"There's nothing to suggest he snapped," the defense lawyer told jurors in urging them to "follow the law."

Lee was sentenced in November 2021 to 25 years to life in state prison.

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