Local News Roundup -- May 16, 17 2009

A roundup of local news stories for Saturday, May 16, 17.

GOVERNOR TO STUMP FOR PROPOSITIONS SUNDAY

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will attend three church services in Los Angeles Sunday to stump for six statewide ballot propositions on Tuesday's ballot, most of which do not have a prayer of passing, if the polls are to be believed. Schwarzenegger and Democratic Assembly Speaker Karen Bass of Los Angeles will be at West Angeles Church of God in Christ, Second Baptist Church of Los Angeles, and First African Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday morning. (NBCLA.com)

POLICE: INGLEWOOD OFFICER SHOT, KILLED GUNMAN

An Inglewood police officer responding to a disturbance call early Sunday encountered an armed suspect and fatally shot him, while being wounded in a leg, a lieutenant said. An officer sent to the 800 block of Osage Avenue about 12:45 a.m. encountered "a subject armed with a handgun," and an officer-involved shooting occurred, Inglewood police Lt. Mike McBride said. The officer was taken to a hospital with a leg wound, and the gunman died, he said. Witnesses told a video crew that four officers opened fire on an unarmed man at close range, striking him at least four times in the back, and that an officer was struck by "friendly fire."

DRIVER FAILED TO SEE CURVE

A 50-year-old Downey man died when he lost control of SUV on the San Diego (405) Freeway Saturday, authorities said. Ramon Aguyao, 50, was driving north on the 405 at the Garden Grove (22) Freeway interchange, where the roadway curves, and he failed to turn with the curve, said a California Highway Patrol dispatcher. Aguyao's Chevy Avalanche ran off the roadway about 2:45 a.m., struck a concrete drainage ditch, overturned and then hit a tree, said the dispatcher. Aguyao died at the scene. He was identified by the Orange County Sheriff's coroner. The victim's sport utility vehicle was traveling at about the speed limit, 65 miles per hour, at the time of the crash, according to the dispatcher. The cause of the crash was under investigation.

ALCOHOL MAY BE INVOLVED IN FATAL CRASH

A woman may have been drinking before she crashed her pickup truck into a palm tree and was killed in an impact so severe that the palm was knocked over, a police sergeant said. The coroner identified the deceased woman as Leslie Leann Voigt, 21, of Riverside. The crash was reported at 2:33 a.m. at Victoria Avenue and Gratton Street, said Riverside police Sgt. Eric Charrette. The driver's name has not yet been released by the police or coroner. A Ford Ranger pickup was headed northeast on Victoria when it drifted across the road and struck the tree, police said. The impact either uprooted the tree or sheared it off at its base, according to Charrette. The pickup overturned and the tree landed on top of the wreckage, according to Charrette. Firefighters got the woman driver out of the pickup, but she was pronounced dead at the crash scene at 2:53 a.m., according to police and the coroner. Authorities located no witnesses. Preliminary investigation indicated the woman may have been drinking alcohol before the crash, Charrette said. Police urged anyone with information to call them at 951-353-7984.

SUSPECT SEEN RUNNING FROM DOWNEY HOMICIDE: POLICE

Downey police Saturday were investigating a homicide at a strip mall. A 45-year-old man was found with a severe head injury inside a business in the 13100 block of Lakewood Boulevard about 7:45 p.m. Friday, according to Pomona police. The victim, whose name was withheld pending notification of his family, was pronounced dead at a hospital. According to a video crew at the scene, distraught relatives of the victim were gathered outside a business called Downey Drinking Water hours afterward. A suspect, reported running from the scene, was described as a Hispanic man, about 30 to 40 years old, about 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a medium build. He was seen wearing a dark-colored V-neck sweat shirt and blue jeans.

FIGHTER FOUND, ARRESTED, POMONA POLICE SAY

A 34-year-old Pomona man was arrested Saturday for attempted murder after a beating left a man hospitalized in critical condition, police said. A caller reported to police that several men beat a victim and then ran off, leaving a man lying in Westmont Park, near Ninth Street and Goldenrod Place, about 3:30 a.m., said Pomona police Cpl. Daryll Johnson. Los Angeles County paramedics took the victim to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center with a major head injury, and he was reported to be in critical condition, Johnson said. His name was not released. Investigating officers contacted Anthony Campos, 34, who admitted he had fought with the victim, according to Johnson. Campos was arrested and is expected to be charged with attempted murder, police said.

FIRE RIPS THROUGH "ARTISAN" BUILDING

Fire caused about $45,000 damage to the third floor of a 19,000-square-foot "artisan" building on the east side of downtown Los Angeles early Saturday, but no one was injured. About 100 firefighters were assigned to the roughly 3 a.m. blaze at 1328 S. Santa Fe Ave. and had it out in 25 minutes, d'Lisa Davies of the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Davies described the structure as an "artisan" building, with both businesses and residences in it, but no one with the fire department was able to say if anyone was inside when the fire started. In so-called "artisan" building, tenants are supposed to hang a sign outside saying if anyone is in the building overnight. The fire appeared to have started on the third floor, and fire spokesman Devin Gales said the cause was electrical, without elaborating. Damage was estimated at $45,000, he said.

TWO SHOT, KILLED IN HYDE PARK

Two men were shot in Hyde Park on Saturday. The slayings at 2909 Hyde Park Blvd. were reported about 4:30 a.m., a Los Angles police officer at the 77th Street Station said. Officer Bruce Borihanh of Media Relations said the victims, both of whom were about 20 years old, were fatally shot. Inglewood police apparently were notified of the killings first. No other information was made available.

FAKE TERRORIST ATTACK TO HIT LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL

Local and federal law enforcement agents will respond to a mock terrorist attack at a high school in Pico Rivera on Saturday. The daylong School Terrorism Awareness and Response Exercise will be held at El Rancho High School at 6501 Passons Blvd. Sheriff's deputies, the city of Pico Rivera and the FBI will be among the participants. The exercise will include an "officer-down" rescue, featuring simulated weapons fire.

105 FREEWAY CRASH LEAVES MAN TRAPPED

A man in a Chevy Suburban rear-ended a big rig on the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway in Downey on Saturday and was trapped in the wreckage for roughly 90 minutes. The accident on the westbound Glenn Anderson Freeway just east of Lakewood Boulevard occurred about 2:10 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver of the Suburban apparently ran into the back of the truck, leaving the front end of his vehicle wedged underneath, according to RMG News. Downey firefighters freed the man about 3:45 a.m. He was conscious and talking en route to a hospital, according to RMG

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