True Crime and News of the Weird from around the Globe

California Man Busted for Trying to Bury Wife Alive

By HardBoiledNews Staff

CORONADO, California — A 23-year-old parolee was busted for allegedly attacking his wife during a stroll on the beach and trying to bury her alive in the sand, police said.

Cops in Coronado, California say the woman called 911 to report that her husband, Jose Luis Mares III of Moreno Valley, had just tried to kill her.

Officers arriving at Coronado beach found the badly injured women on a sidewalk and took her to a San Diego hospital for treatment of serious trauma.

The victim told investigators her husband had become enraged during a quarrel at the Coronado waterfront, assaulted her and then tried to drag her into the surf. He then took her near a lifeguard tower and tried burying her in the sand.

“She said there was a hole in the ground and the hole had previously been there from probably kids digging it during the day. But during the struggle, she said he threw her in that hole when he began putting sand on top of her,” said Det, Ryan Brennan of the Coronado Police Department.

Jose Luis Mares III

The victim told police her husband repeatedly kicked her — then stopped and ran off.

“We don’t know what scared him away. Perhaps it was someone walking by,” Brennan said.

Police searched the neighborhood and found Mares a short time later in the backyard of a nearby home.

Mares was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, assault causing great bodily injury, domestic violence, false imprisonment and violating terms of his parole. He was being held without bail.

 Mares had previous convictions for carjacking and burglary.

Mom Who Disappeared on Road Trip Found Dead Near Joshua Tree

By HardBoiledNews Staff

WONDER VALLEY, California — A months-long search for a California mom who had vanished  after leaving home for a “pandemic road trip” to Joshua Tree National Park, has ended in tragedy after her body was found.

The family of Erika Lloyd confirmed in a Facebook post on Thursday that human remains found by hikers in a desert field in Wonder Valley were those of the 37-year-old single mother. She was identified by her dental records.

“There is no easy way for me to tell you all this and there’s no easy way for any of us to receive it,” her brother, Colin Lloyd, wrote.

“My wish is that we can all lean in a little closer, hold each other up, and remind each other more often that we’re here for one another with open arms and endless love; it’s what she would have wanted; it’s the spirit of who she was.”

Lloyd was last seen alive on June 13 leaving her Walnut Creek home for a solo road trip. Family members had told KESQ-TV that she’d grown restless during the pandemic after losing her job and planned a trip to Joshua Tree National Park.

Loved ones last heard from her on June 16, the same day California Highway Patrol officers discovered her car near Twentynine Palms.

Her brother thanked law enforcement officers in addition to everyone else who has offered support and assisted in the search efforts.

“Erika adored everyone; she left a bright smile on everyone’s heart; she would remind you of who you truly were and how important and loved you were; she warmed your soul. Let us hold her spirit dearly, and allow it to work through us to serve others (what she would want us to do).”

The cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

Gun Man Sticks Up Chicken Shack After He’s Denied Service for No Mask

By HardBoiledNews Staff

PASADENA, California — A man who got into a fight with staff at a California chicken shack because he wouldn’t wear a mask, pulled out a gun and stole a bag of chicken and several other people’s orders before leaving, cops said. 

Pasadena police say the man walked into a local branch of Roscoe’s House of Chicken and got angry when told he had to wear a mask to be inside.

Instead of leaving, the man whipped out a gun, walked into the kitchen and told the cooks to “put all the chicken in the bag.” He then walked out.

No injuries were reported.

Restaurant employees say the robber drove off in a dark-colored, four-door sedan.

Homeless Man Who Attacked Tortoise Busted Again After Returning to Finish Job

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Michelangelo is said to be recovering well

EAST SAN JOSE, California — A man who had been arrested for seriously injuring a decades-old tortoise at a California preschool, was busted again after returning to the school holding a brick shortly after being released from jail. 

The director of the Play ‘N’ Learn Preschool in East San Jose chased George Robles off the school’s property just minutes before students were set to arrive Monday morning.

“I was terrified. I saw the guy, the same guy, run out from the side gate,” Yvonne Co told the San Jose Mercury News. “He should not have been released after something like this. That’s insane. What could he do next to anyone else?”

He was picked up several hours later by a police mental health crisis team.

Robles, who is homeless, was busted on Saturday after attacking the tortoise, an African sulcata named Michelangelo, that the preschool acquired from a rescue program four years ago and kept in a large enclosed garden.

Michelangelo underwent surgery Saturday to repair cracks in its shell and remove shards of wood from a fencepost and glass from flood lamps that had been embedded in its flesh. Veterinarians say the nearly 70-year-old tortoise is recovering.

Authorities could not immediately explain why Robles was released so quickly, but county jails have been reluctant to hold as many offenders due to Covid-19 concerns.

Robles has also been charged with burglary for an earlier breakin at the school in which several iPads were stolen.

FBI Investigating Bomb Explosion at California Anti-Gay Church

By HardBoiledNews Staff

EL MONTE, California — The FBI and local authorities are investigating an explosion apparently caused by a bomb at a Los Angeles-area church that had been the target of protests for its anti-gay views.

Officers responding around 4:30 a.m. Saturday initially thought a vandal had broken the windows of First Works Baptist Church in El Monte, police there said. Then officers noticed smoke coming from inside the building.

“Then we realized that the windows were not smashed, that they had actually blown out from some type of explosion,” Lt. Christopher Cano said.

No one was in the church at the time and no injuries were reported. The extent of the damage to the building was unclear.

The FBI said it appeared the damage was the result of an improvised explosive device.

Protestors have repeatedly targeted the church headed by Pastor Bruce Mejia, who has condemned same-sex relationships.

A statement on it website says: “We believe that homosexuality is a sin and an abomination which God punishes with the death penalty.”

Mejia’s sermons and the church’s stance were called hate speech during public comments at an El Monte City Council meeting, according to the Mercury News.

The Southern Poverty Law Center listed the church on its 2019 watch list of “anti-LBGTQ hate groups.”

The church had been the target of protests in the city, and more than 14,000 people have signed an online petition calling on El Monte’s mayor to recognize the church as a hate group and force them to leave town.

The church is part of the New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement, a network of 30 churches known for calling for the government to round up and execute gay people.

The network’s leader, Steven Anderson, is an Arizona pastor who has drawn widespread condemnation for celebrating the 2016 shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., where 49 people were killed.

Mr. Anderson also gained notoriety in 2009 for saying in a sermon that he had prayed for the death of President Barack Obama, and was criticized by the Anti-Defamation League in 2014 for what it called his “history of anti-Semitism.”

Railway Spike Killer Gets Life in Murder Spree That Targeted the Homeless

By HardBoiledNews Staff

SAN DIEGO — A Southern California man who killed four people and attacked more than a dozen by setting them on fire or impaling them with railroad spikes, has been sentenced to life in prison.

Jon David Guerrero, 43, pleaded guilty last year to murder, attempted murder and arson in more than a dozen attacks in 2016 of mostly homeless men he targetted as they slept on the street

Some were set on fire with gasoline and others had railroad spikes driven through their heads or chests. One survivor of a spike attack was blinded in one eye, prosecutors said.

Three murder victims were homeless: Angelo DeNardo, 53; Shawn Longley, 41; and Dionicio Vahidy, 23. Another victim, 83-year-old Molly Simmons, wasn’t homeless. Authorities said she was fatally struck in the head from behind while walking to a bus stop on her way to volunteer at a YMCA.

Although a motive wasn’t disclosed, trial testimony indicated that he told one survivor, “because you’re a bum.”

Guerrero, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, had a history of arrests and mental competency hearings. He was initially declared mentally incompetent to stand trial in 2017 and sent to Patton State Hospital but later was ruled able to stand trial.

He was  sentenced in San Diego Superior Court to life without possibility of parole with an additional 143 years to life in prison. 

Gunman Wearing Trump Mask, Santa Hat Shoots Brother-in-Law

By HardBoiledNews Staff

ROHNERT PARK, California — A man donning a Santa Claus beard and hat and rubber Donald Trump mask walked up and shot his estranged 77-year-old brother-in-law right in front of his house, cops said.

The victim was hospitalized with two gunshot wounds which were considered serious but not  life-threatening, the Rohnert Park police said. Gerald Jacinth, 75, of Las Vegas, was caught soon after and charged with attempted murder.

The bizarre encounter unfolded Saturday morning when Jacinth drove up to his brother-in-law’s home in Sonoma County north of San Francisco wearing the goofy get-up while carrying a .380 handgun. He then walked up to the victim and tried to hand him a present.

“He had parked his black Dodge car across the street from the victim’s house wearing an over the head mask resembling Donald Trump, white long curly beard and a Santa hat as he made his way up the driveway,” the Rohnert Park authorities said.

The 77-year-old victim, whose name was not released by police, met Jacinth outside but did not recognize him, police said. He would not take the package, which the suspect said was a “special delivery.” Jacinth then raised a duffle bag he was carrying and opened fire, cops said.

“Even though the victim was suffering from two gunshot wounds,” police said, “he was still able to take a photo of Jacinth getting into his vehicle as he was fleeing.”

The victim’s wife dialed 911, and officers were in the area almost immediately and caught up to Jacinth driving nearby. He was quickly cornered and surrendered, police said.

“While searching the vehicle, the officers found a .380 handgun in a duffle bag,” the department said. They also found the mask, beard and hat police said.

A box found in the victim’s driveway was deemed suspicious and the bomb squad was called, but its contents were later determined to be a towel.

Man in Covid Ward Bludgeoned 82-Year-Old Patient to Death For Praying: Cops

By HardBoiledNews Staff

LANCASTER, California — A crazed Covid patient in a California hospital allegedly bludgeoned his 82-year-old ward mate to death with an oxygen tank because the man started to pray, police said.

Jesse Martinez, 37, was receiving treatment at the Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster on Dec. 17, when he blew his top after the man he shared a room with knelt down to pray, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office said.

“The suspect became upset when the victim started to pray. He then struck the victim,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The victim– who was described by police only as Hispanic — died the next day. Investigators say the men didn’t know each other.

Martinez has been charged with murder as a hate crime and elder abuse and was held on $1 million bond.

Police said they are continuing to investigate.

Serial Killer Charged in Cold Case Murder of 9-Year-old Girl in California

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Michaela Joy Garecht and David Misch

OAKLAND, California — A jailed serial killer has been charged with the kidnapping and murder of a 9-year-old girl who disappeared without a trace from a store parking lot 32 years ago, authorities said.

David Misch, 59, was connected to the unsolved disappearance of Michaela Joy Garecht in Hayward, California on November 19, 1988, through a partial palm print and two eyewitnesses who picked his photo out of a lineup.

The brazen kidnapping occurred in broad daylight outside the Rainbow Market after she and a friend had taken their scooters there to buy snacks. Her body has never been found. 

“The kidnap and murder of a child is horrific. The pain to the family and friends is indescribable, especially when their child is not found. This crime shocked not just the local community, but the entire Bay Area and the nation,” said Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley. 

After Garecht and her friend came out of the shop, they found that one of their scooters had been moved behind a car parked in a nearby space. When Garecht went to retrieve it, the driver of the car grabbed her as she walked past his door. He forced her screaming into the front seat of the car and sped away, authorities said.

All detectives had to work with was a partial palmprint found on the scooter.

Prosecutors say that around the 30th anniversary of the kidnapping, they took another look at the evidence and had a fingerprint examiner review a list of names of persons of interest, one being Misch’s.The print was a match.

Authorities say their ability now to compare prints has been significantly advanced through software and technology.

Misch, who is currently incarcerated for a 1989 murder of a woman. He has also been charged with two other notorious cold case killings — the 1986 slayings of Michelle Xavier, 18, and Jennifer Duey, 20, who were brutally raped and murdered on their way back from a birthday party.

When police tried to interview Misch about Garecht’s disappearance, he refused. He also refused to comply with a warrant for his fingerprints and DNA, even after being told it could exonerate him from the crime, police say.

His attorney, Ernie Castillo, described his client as a “loving father, a caring son and a good brother.”

“He is not someone who would hurt or kill a child. David denies the allegations against him and will fight these charges,” Castillo said in a statement to this the East Bay Times.

Santa and His Elves Go Undercover, Bust Several Thieves at California Mall

By HardBoiledNews Staff

RIVERSIDE, California — This gives a whole new meaning to SantaCon.

Undercover cops dressed as Santa and his elves made several busts of shoplifters and suspected car thieves at a shopping mall in California.

The Riverside police say they had assigned officers from their property crimes unit to work with store detectives at the Target store in the busy Canyon Springs shopping center last week. 

Dubbing the operation, “Santa’s intervention,” in a matter of hours, the cops made several arrests, including one where Santa tackled a suspect to the ground.

“As the suspects exited the store with merchandise they just stole, Santa and his elf were waiting to take them into custody for the theft,” the department wrote on its Facebook page.

In one bust, the officers nabbed a woman walking out of the store with a shopping cart full of stolen items. They also found illegal narcotics in her pockets.

A second arrest involved a local transient who cops say is a habitual thief at this particular store. Store detectives recognized him as he entered the store but stopped him before he could steal again. He was subsequently arrested for trespassing and being in possession of illegal narcotics.

The third arrest involved 55-year-old Patrick Seilsopour who allegedly stole expensive Lego toy sets totaling $1,000. He was arrested outside the store by Santa and his elf for grand theft. Cops say Seilsopour is believed to have committed similar retail thefts at several Target stores in the region.

Toward the conclusion of the operation, detectives received information about three suspicious men casing vehicles in the shopping center parking lot.  One of the undercover detectives spotted the men in the act of stealing an older white Honda CR-V. 

Two of the suspects saw the detective and ran off but were quickly apprehended by the other officers.  One suspect resisted arrest but was taken into custody with the help of the undercover Santa, who tackled him to the ground. 

Another suspect was detained by the undercover elf, who held him at gunpoint. The third suspect who actually stole the Honda, managed to get away but the vehicle was found abandoned nearby. Cops say they know who the man is.

California Cop Does Pizza Duty for Busted Delivery Driver

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Anyone hungry?

MURRIETA, California — Call it law and deliver the order.

A California cop went beyond the call of duty by transporting a pizza to a hungry customer after the delivery driver was arrested during a traffic stop.

The Murrieta Police Department says Officer Datil was working a traffic enforcement shift when he spotted a pizza delivery man driving recklesslyon his way to deliver a pie. After pulling the driver over, the officer discovered the motorist had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest.

After slapping the cuffs on the driver, Officer McCarthy stepped in to fill the delivery driver’s shoes and get the pizza to its destination.

“The smile on the hungry citizens face was all the “tip” needed to know we are doing our job,” the department said.

Cops Reopen Bizarre Cold Case of Inmate Killed by Gunman From Outside Jail

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Michael Duayne Wallace was scheduled to be released a month after he was killed

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California — Talk about a jailhouse whodunnit.

Detectives are reopening a bizarre 20-year-old cold case investigation into the killing of  a California inmate who was shot and killed while behind bars by someone from outside the jail. 

Officials say the April 27, 2000 slaying of 20-year-old Michael Duayne Wallace is the only instance anyone can remember of such an incident. Now detectives in Mountain View say they are reopening the case after some new information has come in.

Investigators say Wallace was shot and killed while at a minimum-security work furlough center in Mountain View less than a month before he was set to be released. 

That night, Wallace was standing in a hallway shortly after 10 p.m. and had turned to face the entrance of the building when he was shot in the chest. He was on clean-up duty at the time, mopping the hallway and talking with another inmate when the incident unfolded, police said.

At the center, Wallace was both an inmate and an employee, serving as a crew chief who made sure other inmates checked in and out while working as they entered or left the facility. He had been scheduled for release in May 2000 when he was shot. 

Despite an intense investigation at the time, detectives were unable to find a motive for the shooting, or a viable suspect. For years, the case remained open, but unsolved. 

Domestic Abuser Fatally Stabbed, Beaten With Golf Club by Vic’s Mom, Sis

By HardBoiledNews Staff

SOUTH PASADENA, California — Don’t mess with this family.

A California man who broke into his ex-girlfriend’s house to attack her was stabbed and beaten to death with a golf club by the woman’s mother and sister, police said.

The man, identified as 40-year-old Justin Goss, of Glendale, had thrown a concrete block through the window of the home in South Pasadena on Saturday morning, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Goss then ran inside and began punching and choking his ex, police said. That’s when her mother and sister jumped in and stabbed Goss with a kitchen knife and beat him with a golf club.

South Pasadena police officers responding to a domestic violence call at the house, found the front window shattered and heard a screaming woman inside. When they went inside they found the bleeding Goss stabbed and beaten.

He  was pronounced dead at the scene. 

His former girlfriend, described by police as being in her 30s, was hospitalized for facial lacerations and contusions and later released. Investigators believe her mother and sister acted to save her life, and they have not been arrested following the incident, cops said.

“They were well within their rights to defend her by using deadly force against him,” Lt. Barry Hall with the Sheriff’s Department said.

Dad, 50, Killed by 3 Separate Hit-and-Run Drivers Who All Fled Scene

By HardBoiledNews Staff

LOS ANGELES — Cops are searching for three hit-and-run drivers who mowed down the same man one after the other on a Los Angeles street, leaving him dead in the road.

The incident occurred in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Florence when a motorcyclist travelling north struck 50-year-old Jose Fuentes as he crossed the street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

In surveillance video released by the LAPD, Fuentes can be seen lying in the road after being struck by the motorcycle as it speeds away. Just seconds later he is then hit by a white sedan which also fled the scene after the collision, according to cops.

In a separate video released by cops, the man on the motorcycle can be seen stopping further down the road before getting back on his motorcycle and fleeing.

“Nobody stopped and helped out Mr. Fuentes as he lay there,” said LAPD Detective Ryan Moreno. “The guy on the motorcycle, he kind of went out onto the street, maybe he could have stopped to block traffic and prevented even the second or third collision from happening. But he elected to get on his motorcycle and took off and left and fled the scene.”

Fuentes was subsequently hit a third time, but that motorist didn’t stop either, cops said.

Authorities are searching for all three suspects and say that they are looking for a dark colored sports bike being driven by a man as well as a white colored sedan. Anyone with information is asked to contact the LAPD’s South Traffic Division.

Man Wanted in Ponzi Scheme Leads Feds on Wild Underwater Chase

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Matthew Piercey used a seas scooter to flee the feds on Lake Shasta

LAKE SHASTA, California — In a scene straight out of a James Bond movie, a man wanted for running a $35 million Ponzi scheme led the FBI on a wild chase using an underwater sea scooter on California’s largest reservoir.

The cinematic pursuit began when FBI agents raided the home of Matthew Piercey, 44, in Palo Cedro early Monday, and he hopped into a pickup and sped, authorities said.

The chase twice veered off road before Piercey stopped on the shoreline of Lake Shasta. There, he hopped into the frigid waters and zoomed off using a Yamaha 350Li submersible device.

“Piercey abandoned his truck near the edge of Lake Shasta, pulled something out of it, and swam into Lake Shasta,” federal prosecutors wrote in court documents. “Piercey spent some time out of sight underwater where law enforcement could only see bubbles. He remained in the frigid water for approximately 25 minutes.”

He eventually surfaced and was taken away in cuffs, officials said.

Piercey and his business partner, Kenneth Winton, 67, of Oroville, were indicted last week on charges they bilked investors out of $35 million through their investment schemes, Family Wealth Legacy and Zolla. The defendants promised guaranteed returns using an “Upvesting Fund” that allegedly was an algorithmic trading fund with a history of success.

Instead, investigators say it was a Ponzi scheme. In total, they paid back just $8.8 million to investors, according to the indictment.

Piercey attended Bethel Church and used his connections at the prominent Redding megachurch to prey on fellow parishioners, the Sacramento Bee reported.

He and Winton used their investors’ money for various business and personal expenses, including two residential properties and a houseboat. No cash remains to repay investors, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the California firms were supposedly investing clients’ money using a variety of strategies, including “cryptocurrency mining.”

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Family Wealth was founded in 2016 and focused exclusively on well-to-do clients. The minimum investment was $50,000.

The sister company, Zolla, had attracted $4.6 million in investments, according to SEC filings.

Piercey faces charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and witness tampering. Winton has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, both face 20 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

‘Inhumane Exploitation’: Liquor Store Owners Kept Employee in Slave-Like Conditions

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Amarjit and Balwinder Mann are accused of

GILROY, California — For some, sadly, slavery isn’t dead.

The husband-wife owners of a California liquor store have been charged with human trafficking for locking an employee in the shop and forcing him to work daily marathon shifts, sleep in a storage room and bathe using a mop bucket while never paying him.

Amarjit and Balwinder Mann, both 66, are accused of bringing the victim from India with the promise of work, but then snatching his passport and threatening him with deportation if he talked to police, the Santa Clara district attorney’s office said.

“Slavery officially was abolished in 1865,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “Tragically, we are seeing examples of it in 2020. My Office will prosecute anyone to the fullest extent of the law who practices this kind of criminal and inhumane exploitation.”

Investigators estimate that the Manns — who own a profitable liquor store and market  — have stolen more than $150,000 in wages from the victim and three other employees. The Manns engaged in predatory recruitment of their workers from India and lured them with promises of travel and financial independence. 

The Mann’s scheme began to unravel in February when an Alcoholic Beverage Control inspection discovered the victim at M&M Liquors in Gilroy, California. The agent said the man appeared to be living in a small storage room in the back area of the store, where they saw a thin mattress lying on top of milk crates. They also noticed an office desk filled with folded clothes and pots and pans for cooking.

Next to the desk, there was a mop sink and a shampoo bottle that the victim had been using to bathe. 

Investigators determined that the man come from India in 2019 expecting to travel to the U.S. with the couple, but iInstead they took his money and passport and put him to work without pay or a key to leave the liquor store at night.

Three other men – two who worked at the liquor store and one who worked at the market across the street – told agents that they worked extremely long shifts but were paid a pittance. One said he had no idea about the concept of a minimum wage.

The Manns face charges of labor human trafficking, witness intimidation, and wage theft involving four victims.

Man Gets Life for Chopping Off Marijuana Dispensary Owner’s Penis

By HardBoiledNews Staff

 

Hossein Nayeri had believed the victim was stashing cash in the desert

SANTA ANA, California — A man who burned a marijuana dispensary owner with a blow torch and cut off his penis during a brutal shakedown attempt has been sentenced to three life sentences.

Hossein Nayeri, 41, was one of four men charged with the vicious kidnapping and assault on the dispensary owner in an effort to get him to reveal places in the desert the co-conspirators believed he had been stashing money, prosecutors said.

“The devastating depraved heart and extreme intelligence allowed this individual to inflict unimaginable horror on his victims,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Despite his best efforts to avoid capture, Orange County law enforcement was relentless in pursuing justice.”

The terrifying plot began in 2012 when one of Nayeri’s pals, Kyle Shirakawa Handley, 41, met the victim during an extravagant weekend in Las Vegas he hosted for his marijuana suppliers. Handley had been a grower and sold marijuana to the man.

After the trip to Las Vegas, Handley told Nayeri and their friend, Ryan Kevorkian, that the victim was extremely wealthy and they hatched a plan to kidnap and rob him.

Prosecutors say the men followed the victim for weeks as he made frequent trips to the desert, believing he was stashing cash there. In fact, the victim had been making trips to discuss a possible investment deal.

On Oct. 2, 2012, Handley, Nayeri, and Kevorkian broke into the victim’s Newport Beach home, zip-tied his wrists, severely beat him and forced him into a van. They also kidnapped the girlfriend of his roommate and drove them to the desert. They then sexually mutilated the victim by cutting off his penis, according to prosecutors. 

They then poured bleach on the victim in an effort to destroy any DNA evidence and dumped both zip-tied victims on the side of the road. The woman was not physically harmed.

The men took the victim’s penis with them so that it could never be reattached. The woman managed to get her feet free and ran over a mile to a main road in the dark, where she flagged down a police car. The dispensary owner spent an extensive period of time in the hospital recovering from his injuries. 

Cops were able to tie Handley to the attack after reviewing security footage from near the victim’s home and spotting Handley’s car surveilling the man’s house. Investigators later discovered Nayeri’s DNA on evidence linked to the kidnapping. Handley was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to two life terms. 

Nayeri then fled to Iran but was captured by the FBI in 2013 as he travelled through the Czech Republic to visit family in Spain. In 2016, he escaped from the Orange County Jail with another man and kidnapping a cab driver and forcing him to drive them to an Francisco where they were eventually caught.

Kevorkian and his ex-wife, Naomi Josette Rhodus, who was involved in formulating the plot, are awaiting trial.

Sicko Graphic Novelist Ordered to Pay $41.6M in Scalping Slay of Fiancee

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Blake Leibel modeled the slaying of gal pal Iana Kasian after a graphic novel he wrote

LOS ANGELES — A sicko graphic novelist heir to a powerful Canadian clan has been ordered to pay $41.6 million to the family of his fiancee who he brutally tortured and scalped just weeks after she gave birth to their daughter.

Blake Leibel, who is serving life in prison in the 2016 slaying he modeled after a graphic novel he’d written, was found liable in a wrongful death suit brought by Iana Kasian’s family.

“This murder didn’t just kill one person, it really did kill the family, it shattered the family. And the family has had a hard time crawling back from this,” said Jake Finkel, an attorney representing Kasian’s family told the Los Angeles Times.

Leibel, whose family built their fortune in Canadian real estate and chemicals manufacturing, once had a fledgling Hollywood career as a writer and illustrator.

But in 2016, cops found him barricaded in his West Hollywood apartment with Kasian’s mutilated body.

Prosecutors said during Leibel’s trial that he had cut off  Kasian’s scalp, letting all of her blood drain from her body, killing her.

Experts testified that Kasian was alive during much of the torture and died “a very slow, excruciating, painful death.” Prosecutors said the grisly slaying was modeled after the story of “Syndrome,” a graphic novel that Leibel helped create years earlier. I

Leibel moved to California in 2004, married and had a son, living off an allowance from his parents — payouts that totaled $1.8 million over about seven years.

He worked on the animated series “Spaceballs,” based on the 1987 film by Mel Brooks, and collaborated with a team of writers and an illustrator to develop “Syndrome.”

In 2015. he filed for divorce and met Kasian who became pregnant. Prosecutors argued at trial that Leibel had been driven by jealousy over the attention Kasian gave to their newborn, Diana, when he committed the gruesome slaying.

Kasian hailed from Ukraine, where she worked as an attorney prosecuting tax crimes and moved to the U.S. in 2014. The $41.6 million will go to Kasian’s mother, Olga, who is raising the now-3-year-old girl in Ukraine.

“The most precious thing to take away from a little girl, from a woman, is her mother. [Diana’s] mother was taken away from her before she even got a real chance to learn about her, get to know her,” Finkel said. “At one point, she’s going to learn about the reality of her mother, and what happened to her, and her biological father and what he did to her mother.”

 

Woman Named Meth Jailed For Killing Prison Inmate With Meth

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Johna Martinez-Meth lived up to her name

FAIRFIELD, California — What’s in a name?

A woman whose last name is Meth has been sentenced to two years for smuggling meth into a prison, killing an inmate who died after swallowing balloons containing the drugs, authorities said.

Johna Martinez-Meth, 46, of Clearlake, California, had been accused of sneaking the drugs to an inmate at a prison medical facility in Vacaville in May 2018, prison officials said,

The scheme was uncovered when the inmate,  Adrian Sepulveda, 46, who was serving a life sentence for murder, died, An autopsy showed he had swallowed several balloons filled with methamphetamine, officials said.

When investigators realized that Martinez-Meth was the last person to visit Sepulveda, they got a search warrant for her house where they found more meth, balloons and glue. She was arrested and later pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

“[The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] is committed to stopping the flow of drugs into our prisons,” said Bryan Shill, deputy chief of CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety. “Our investigators will diligently pursue those who smuggle narcotics into any state correctional facility, and we will seek justice through aggressive prosecution of violators.”

 

Calif. Woman Charged With Impersonating Cop, Groping Woman Outside Bar

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Denise Latta allegedly has a thing for posing as a cop in order to grope women

TUSTIN, California — A depraved fraudster posed as a cop to force a female patron out of a southern California watering hole where she allegedly groped and robbed her, authorities said.

Denise Latta, 54, of Huntington Beach, went into a bar in Tustin on Sept. 13, and whipped out a badge as she approached the bartender and female patron, police said.

Investigators say Latta instructed the woman to produce an identification card, which the phony cop then cut several pieces. Latta then demanded the victim leave the bar with her.

Once outside, Latta forced the victim to put her hands on a wall and spread her feet, and while searching her, touched her breast and groin through her clothes, police said. Latta then told the victim that she wasn’t going to arrest her and told her to leave and never come back to the bar.

In late November, Tustin police tracked Latta down and charged her with kidnapping, robbery, false imprisonment, sexual battery, and impersonating a police officer. She is being held on $100,000 bond.

When Latta was arrested, officers found fake badges, identification cards that read “agent,” and clothing that read “fugitive recovery agent,” among her belongings.

Latta told detectives that she worked as a private detective and bail enforcement officer, but lacked any identification to prove it. Latta was also in possession of several items that led detectives to believe this may not be an isolated incident and cops are looking for additional victims.

Reward Offered for Capture Of Gunman Who Shot Dolphin in California

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Officials say a necropsy showed the dolphin had been shot to death

MANHATTAN BEACH, California — A dolphin was found shot dead on a California beach, and an animal rescue group has offered a reward for information leading to the killer.

The dolphin’s remains were found on Manhattan Beach about 20 miles south of Los Angeles, El Segundo-based Marine Animal Rescue wrote on Facebook on Friday.

A necropsy later revealed that the sea mammal had been killed by a gunshot wound, the group said.

“There is NO excuse for such brutality against these beautiful animals,” the group wrote.

The organization said it is offering a reward of $5,000 to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot the dolphin.

Earlier this year, authorities say an animal shot and killed a pregnant bottlenose dolphin in Mississippi.

At least 24 dolphins have died as a result of being shot with a gun, an arrow or impaled by some sort of object since 2002, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Dolphins are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. This prohibits harassing, harming, killing or feeding these animals. Violators can face up to $100,000 in fines and 1 year in jail for each offense.

Drama Teacher Accused of Molestation Found Dead Just Before Closing Arguments

By HardBoiledNews Staff

David Michael Bruce is suspected of committing suicide just ahead of closing arguments in his molestation case

ANAHEIM, California — A retired junior high school drama teacher on trial for allegedly molesting his students was found dead in his home of an apparent suicide just before closing arguments in his case were set to begin.

David Michael Bruce, 68, was found dead after failing to appear in court in southern California as his case was winding to a close, authorities said.

Police said they suspected a suicide, but the official cause of death remained pending. Bruce had faced up to life in prison if he had been convicted.

Bruce was accused of molesting students over the course of 15 years at Sycamore Junior High in Anaheim. Prosecutors said Bruce would typically begin with massages before escalating the molestation.

“He would tell them he had Hollywood connections” and could help them get jobs in the film industry, Deputy District Attorney Rick Zimmer said in his opening statement of the trial, according to the Orange County Register.

“The defendant basically has an obsession with male buttocks,” he said, noting that the allegations included “a lot of rubbing, touching and spanking the buttocks of these victims.”

Police also allegedly found erotic photos of young boys in the teacher’s residence.

One of the boys was a special education student who would “hang out” with his teacher at lunch, according to the prosecutor, who said the educator gave the boy gifts such as an iPod and skateboard.

One of the alleged victims confided in his sister, “who actually is the reason this whole investigation got started,” Zimmer said. A custodian at the school reported he “walked in on the defendant massaging a student.”

Bruce’s attorney had argued his client’s accusers had histories of psychiatric issues and dishonesty and were hoping to cash in on lawsuits.

800-Pound Hammer Sculpture Mysteriously Disappears from Community Center

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Someone very strong made off with this 800-pound hammer sculpture

HEALDSBURG, California — They must have had a really big nail.

Police in northern California are hunting for whomever was able to make off with an 800-pound sculpture of a hammer from outside a community center.

Officials say the massive work of art disappeared sometime late Friday night. Workers at the Healdsburg Community Center noticed it was missing Saturday morning when they noticed a large empty spot on the lawn.

Police are at a loss as it would have taken a crane or a large group of people and a truck to move the giant hammer and no one saw anything.

“We have no leads at this point. We’ve checked a lot of different locations,” Healdsburg Police Officer Darryl Erkel told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. “We initially thought it might have been a high school prank.”

The hammer sports a redwood handle and measures 21 feet long. The metal head is 6 feet tall, Healdsburg artist Doug Unkrey said.

“They’d need at least a flatbed trailer with a winch, or about eight people,” said Unkrey, who created the piece. “Why would you take this thing? Where are you going to put it?”

The artwork is estimated to be worth around $15,000.

Wannabe Cop Gets 10 Years for San Diego Church and School Arson Fires

By HardBoiledNews Staff

The arson caused over $1.5 million damages to the church and neighboring school

SAN DIEGO — A wannabe cop who lived a secret life as a firebug has been sentenced to 10 years for a string of late night arson fires at a southern California church and middle school.

Tyler Carender, 22, admitted sparking three separate fires over 21 days at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and Oak Crest Middle School in Encinitas in 2016.

A student of criminal justice at Palomar College in San Marcos, Carender was caught after he admitted to a classmate — who was also studying to be a cop — that he was behind the arson fires.

The first blaze broke out on Oct. 22, 0216 at the Friendship House” Counseling and Youth Center building at the Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Firefighters were able to contain the fire, which still caused approximately $200,000 in damage, federal prosecutors said.

A week later, he also set fire to the administrative building at the Oak Street Middle School next to his house, by breaking in and using gasoline to set fire to books and files within the building.

Making matters worse, firefighters were forced to retreat from the building after the roof appeared like it might collapse. In all, prosecutors say the fire destroyed student records and caused $1.5 million in damages.

Two weeks later, Carender went back to St. Andrew’s  and threw a Molotov cocktail into the office of the church’s preschool, causing $25,000 in damages.

The San Diego sheriff’s office were led at first to Carender after detectives received an anonymous tip. Later,  Carender confided in a classmate about committing the three arsons. The classmate ultimately recorded Carender discussing his involvement and contacted authorities.

Following his arrest, Carender initially denied any involvement, but later admitted he had started the fires, cops say.

Carender was arrested in July 2017 at his home and pleaded guilty on March 9, 2018 to all three charges.

 

Reality Show Doctor and Gal Pal Charged With Drugging and Raping Women

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Reality show doc, Grant Robicheaux, and girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, are accused of preying on women as a team

SANTA ANA, California — A telegenic reality show doctor and his striking girlfriend have been charged with drugging and sexually assaulting two women, and authorities fear  there could be many more victims.

Investigators have found “thousands and thousands of videos” on orthopedic surgeon Grant Robicheaux’s phone, many of which show him and girlfriend Cerissa Riley engaged in sex acts with other women.

Some videos show women who “appear to be highly intoxicated beyond the ability to consent or resist, and they’re barely responsive to the defendant’s sexual advances. Based on this evidence, we believe that there might be many unidentified victims out there,” Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said.

Robicheaux, 38, had appeared in a short-lived Bravo TV show called “Online Dating Rituals of the American Male,” in 2014.

“We believe the defendants used their good looks and charm to lower the inhibitions of their potential prey,” Rackauckas said, releasing an array of information about many locations and events where Robicheaux and the 31-year-old Riley had traveled.

So far, two women have filed charges after being allegedly assaulted by the couple after meeting them at social events.

“We tend to trust doctors who take an oath to do no harm. The second defendant, being a female, is key. A woman purporting to be his girlfriend clearly played a significant role in disarming the victims, making them feel comfortable and safe,” Rackauckas said.

Cerissa Riley and Grant Robicheaux at an event where they may have hunted for prey

The couple have been released on $100,000 bond and their attorneys say their clients deny the charges.

“All allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley,” the lawyers said in a statement. “They have been aware of these accusations for a number of months, and each of them will formally deny the truth of these allegations at their first opportunity in court.”

According to prosecutors, Robicheaux and Riley met a 32-year-old woman at a Newport Beach restaurant on April 10, 2016, invited her to a party and then escorted her to Robicheaux’s apartment when she was intoxicated.

The pair allegedly gave the victim multiple drugs and then sexually assaulted her while she was incapable of resisting. The woman called police the next day, and a forensic exam found multiple controlled substances.

On Oct. 2, 2016, the defendants allegedly drank alcohol with another woman at a Newport Beach bar until she was unconscious, brought her to Robicheaux’s apartment and sexually assaulted her.

The district attorney’s office said the victim awakened and screamed for help until a neighbor called police, who began an investigation.

Prosecutors say that cops also found large amounts of illegal drugs, two illegal, unregistered assault rifles, four other firearms and several large-capacity magazines at Robicheaux’s home.

They noted that the couple may have traveled to  events like the Burning Man festival in Nevada, the Dirtybird Campout festival in Silverado, California, the Splash House festival in Palm Springs, and landmarks near Page, Arizona, and fear that additional victims could have been attacked at these events.

Robicheaux studied at Louisiana State University and did postgraduate work at New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases and hs residency at the University of California Irvine Medical Center in Orange, California.