Cities approve 'Stadium to the Sea' route for L.A. Marathon

Santa Monica joins L.A., Beverly Hills and West Hollywood in signing off on the new route, which will begin at Dodger Stadium and end at the ocean.

Finally, the L.A. Marathon will make it to the Pacific.The new "Stadium to the Sea" route has received the imprimatur of the cities along the course, ensuring that runners next March 21 will have the point-to-point route they and organizers have favored.
On Tuesday, the Santa Monica City Council approved the plan to end the race at the ocean. Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood had already signed off on the dramatically altered route, which will begin at Dodger Stadium and pass through some of the region's best-known locations. Although the final 26.2-mile route has not been set, it is expected to wind through West Hollywood and along the Sunset Strip, proceed to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and, ultimately, pass through the Westside along San Vicente Boulevard to the ocean. In past years, runners have loped along a loop route through parts of the city not known for their stunning scenery.A bonus for elite runners is that the course trends downhill, which suggests that some record times might be in the offing. So that runners aren't marooned at the beach, shuttles or buses will be available to return participants to the stadium.
"We now have the tools to create a world-class marathon of which we all can be proud," said Russ Pillar, president of the Los Angeles Marathon.The Los Angeles City Council voted last year to move the marathon to Memorial Day, a Monday, after a number of churches along the race route complained that street closures and crowds on the traditional Sunday in March kept parishioners away. Marathon officials granted concessions to win religious leaders' support for a Sunday race. They will move the start time to 6:55 a.m. from 7:20 a.m. The route change will also ensure that runners don't pass by many churches.Officials in neighboring cities were practically giddy about the alterations. Santa Monica Mayor Ken Genser applauded the vision of the McCourt Group, which owns the marathon and the Dodgers, "to make this race a celebration of the entire Los Angeles region."And Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne said her city was "excited to host athletes and fans . . . and watch 20,000 participants run down Rodeo Drive." Even if they won't have time to stop and shop.

Los Angeles boy's beating death came after two exams, records show

Months before the body of a beaten 6-year-old boy was found on the floor of his home last week, strong evidence existed to suggest that he was the victim of sustained abuse at the hands of the man now accused of killing him, according to documents obtained by The Times.Authorities on Wednesday issued a murder warrant for Marcas Fisher, who police believe beat his ex-girlfriend's son, Dae'von Bailey, to death a week ago. Police cordoned off a South Los Angeles neighborhood Wednesday morning in what ended up being a fruitless search for Fisher. Detectives believe he is in hiding with aid from friends or family.

Los Angeles Police Department officials said Wednesday that social workers had approved an agreement between Fisher and the boy's mother that placed Dae'von in the man's home. Fisher had been convicted of rape as a teenager and had a criminal record as an adult.The appropriateness of that placement is one of several questions being raised by police and county officials about how social workers handled the case.On April 27, the county Department of Children and Family Services was informed that Fisher had shoved Dae'von into a bathroom sink, injuring the boy's nose and causing him to miss a week of school.
When a social worker arrived at the house two weeks later, Dae'von said Fisher had "socked him in the nose" but Fisher insisted that the boy's injury was from an "accident," according to documents obtained by The Times. Dae'von was treated for a contusion at a private medical office, the records show. But social workers ultimately allowed Dae'von to remain with Fisher.Then on June 3, the county received another allegation, that Fisher had punched Dae'von in the stomach. When social workers arrived, Dae'von said Fisher hit him in either the stomach or chest, according to the documents. One of his siblings confirmed the story -- but later recanted. Fisher denied hitting the boy.Again, Fisher took Dae'von to a doctor, and the medical provider who examined him later reported "there were no signs of physical abuse and stated that Dae'von had given more than one version of the incident. . . . She had no concerns for Dae'von," according to the documents. The county concluded that the boy's abuse allegations were "unfounded" and took no action.Less than a month later, the boy's body was found in a house on 87th Place. County records show that Dae'von's body was found with "multiple bruises, to his face, arm, chest, back, wrist and elbow . . . [and] multiple circular contusions to both feet."Social workers were not the only ones who knew about the earlier allegations of abuse. In an interview with The Times, LAPD Det. Frank Ramirez said that in April and June, the child had told adults at his school that he had been abused. Officials at the school informed the county, he said."The boy did what he should do," Ramirez said. "He reported it to the school, and the school did what they should do. They reported it to DCFS. And unfortunately he's dead."County officials want to know whether social workers did an adequate investigation of the alleged abuse, talking to people besides Fisher and the boy. They have also asked whether the doctors examined him properly.

Both issues have come up before as the county has struggled to address a pattern in which children have been killed after their cases already had come to the attention of county child welfare officials.The use of private doctors to evaluate potential abuse has been the subject of debate, with critics saying doctors in private practice are not always trained to detect abuse.In the wake of Dae'von's death, Supervisor Gloria Molina has proposed a pilot program in parts of the San Gabriel Valley and the Eastside in which all children who come to the county's attention as possible child-abuse victims would be examined at a county facility by forensic pediatricians and other experts trained to spot abuse. Dr. Astrid Heger, executive director of the L.A. County-USC Violence Intervention Program, said Dae'von was exactly the kind of child who needed to be examined by experts at these county-run centers. There are currently six such "hubs," but children who come to the county's attention, like Dae'von, are not always referred to them."These kids are trying to figure out how to survive," Heger said. "It takes an enormous amount of courage for a child to say, 'He hit me.' It's like he's looking at you and me and saying, 'Rescue me.' And what happened? We didn't. And that's the tragedy."Molina has also recommended adding a new layer of oversight to the county's process for investigating allegations of child abuse. Under the proposal, a supervising social worker and an assistant regional administrator would review each case even when a social worker had determined the allegations to be "unfounded.""Who stepped forward to save this child?" asked Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who has called on the county board to appoint an independent investigator to thoroughly review Dae'von's case and look for breakdowns in the process.Family Services officials declined to answer specific questions, citing confidentiality rules and the fact that the investigation into the boy's death was continuing. But in a statement, Director Trish Ploehn said: "The entire department is grieving over the loss of this precious little boy. I have ordered a full investigation into this child's tragic death. We are in the process of identifying any and all individuals and agencies that may have had contact with this family. Any DCFS procedural or performance violations identified will be fully and swiftly addressed."Much remains unknown about the county's interactions with Dae'von and his family, including why the boy was not living with his mother, Tylette Davis, 28. In an interview with The Times last week, Davis said the boy was living with Fisher while she dealt "with some issues." It's unclear whether social workers knew of Fisher's criminal record when Dae'von went to live with him. Typically, criminal background checks are done on people who social workers believe neglected or abused a child.At the time of Dae'von's death, none of Davis' six children were living with her. Three were staying with her mother, two with Fisher and one with a cousin. All were taken into protective custody after Dae'von's death.On Wednesday, Davis said she had not known about the allegations of abuse in April and June. "If I had known, I would have taken the kids from him," she said. "My boy never told me anything like that."LAPD Cmdr. Patrick Gannon said detectives still have much ground to cover in the investigation, but one fact remains painfully clear."This child was beaten to death," he said. "There's no telling how long he suffered before dying."

San Diego high-rise condo market goes from frenzy to fizzle

San Diego high-rise condo market goes from frenzy to fizzle
Thousands were built downtown in recent years, but many are unsold or in foreclosure and prices have plummeted. The upside is that those priced out of the area can afford them - if they can get loans.

Drive through California's sprawling inland suburbs and you'll spot the familiar mileposts of a real estate bust: foreclosure signs, brown lawns and abandoned subdivisions.To see the damage in downtown San Diego, walk a few blocks. Then look straight up.

There you'll see hundreds of unsold luxury condominiums stacked in vacant high-rises. Some units downtown are now selling for less than half what earlier buyers had paid during the market peak.These see-through buildings, with names evoking European sophistication like Aria and Vantage Pointe, are the opulent spatter from the bursting of one of California's flashiest housing bubbles.From 2001 through 2008, more than 8,000 condominium units were built in downtown San Diego. That's double the number of downtown units constructed over the same period in Los Angeles, a city three times its size. So while sales of urban high-rise units are convulsing elsewhere, nowhere is the collapse more dramatic than in downtown San Diego.
Flush with easy credit, developers and home buyers were eager to invest in "America's finest city," the nickname used by officials to tout San Diego's bay-side location and perfect climate.At the height of the frenzy, hopeful purchasers queued up outside sales offices to plunk down deposits. There were occasional arguments over who was first in line. No one wanted to miss out with condo values riding an elevator to the sky. Near the peak, in May 2004, median resale prices of downtown condos hit $647,500, a 56% increase in just three years, according to San Diego research firm MDA DataQuick. One savvy flipper made a $91,000 profit in less than two months in 2005 by reselling a 560-square-foot studio for $340,000. "There was a little bit of a mass hysteria mentality. . . . People thought they would be priced out of the market," said Bradford Willis, 47, who signed a contract in 2004 to purchase a $341,000, one-bedroom condo in a planned luxury development. Willis said he bought on speculation because there was little existing inventory on the market at the time, much of it priced above $500,000.Irrational exuberance has long since given way to buyer's remorse. Median resale prices for downtown units stood at $370,000 in June. That pricey 560-square-foot studio? It was foreclosed and resold this year for $162,000, down more than half from its 2005 sale price.Downtown San Diego, a 2.2-square-mile area, is now awash in condos. About 400 new and occupied ones are listed for sale, and more than 450 are in some stage of foreclosure and will eventually be put on the market. An additional 1,000 units that were under construction when the market soured are slated to be completed this year, adding to the glut and putting further downward pressure on prices. So far this year, 159 new homes have been sold downtown, according to DataQuick. At that pace, it would take several years to sell all the units recently completed or being finished this year. Developers are holding units off the market.Some companies have simply walked away. Los Angeles housing developer KB Home abandoned plans for a 184-unit luxury project in 2007, before construction began. The new owners of that downtown parcel are now building 226 units for low-income families."It was like the Gold Rush down there, and this is the fallout," said Peter Navarro, a UC Irvine professor of economics and public policy who in 1992 ran unsuccessfully for mayor of San Diego. The same factors that led to overbuilding everywhere, such as loose credit and false expectations of ever-rising prices, were at work in San Diego, Navarro said.Still, there were some unique forces pumping air into the bubble.Canadian developers with little experience in Southern California, starting with Nat Bosa, a prominent Vancouver, Canada, condo builder, led the condo charge downtown, overestimating its potential, experts said. Buyers likewise bet too heavily on the urban revival triggered by the 2004 completion of the Petco Park baseball stadium, home to the San Diego Padres. City policies encouraged multi-unit housing development in the lightly populated downtown area, where large projects could be built with little community resistance. Builders loved high-rise towers because they could sell more units on the same space. But that almost exclusive focus on upscale high-rises was a mistake, said Howard Blackson, who heads a San Diego urban design firm. Towers aren't as attractive to families as other types of housing, such as row houses or smaller, walk-up buildings, Blackson said. Nor were they affordable for many. With some three-bedroom units priced at more than $1 million, the pool of purchasers was limited.

Makeover advised for gang member kicked by El Monte officer

Law Offices of Nick Pacheco
Richard Rodriguez, who was kicked in the head by an El Monte police officer, will cover his tattoos and grow hair to look like the Photoshop image at right.
The attorney of Richard Rodriguez, who has filed a $5-million legal claim against the city, wants his client to grow hair and wear a suit to cover his tattoos at trial.

The attorney for a gang member kicked in the head by an El Monte police officer at the end of a televised car chase thinks his client has a great case. On Thursday, Nick Pacheco filed a $5-million legal claim against the city on behalf of the 23-year-old. But just in case, the attorney said his heavily tattooed client will be getting an extreme makeover in time for a trial, complete with a thick Tom Selleck mustache -- think "Magnum P.I." -- to cover the name of his street gang, which is inked on his upper lip. Richard Rodriguez will also grow hair to cover the tattoos on his shaved head. And he'll wear a nice, conservative suit.
To make his point, Pacheco used Photoshop to show the difference. In the booking photo, Rodriguez's head is shaved, and the name of his gang hangs over his lip. Tattoos climb his neck. In the "after" rendition, he's wearing a black suit with a metallic gray tie, neatly combed hair and a lush mustache. "People get past looks when you put on a suit and your hair is grown," Pacheco said.
Pacheco, a former L.A. councilman, said his client suffers from headaches and blurred vision, among other symptoms. Dieter Dammeier, attorney for the El Monte Police Officers Assn., said the officer acted within his training by using a "distraction blow" on Rodriguez.

Eddie Cibrian's wife leaves him after more LeAnn Rimes rendevous

Eddie Cibrian's wife leaves him after more LeAnn Rimes rendevous

Eddie Cibrian's steadfast and loyal wife Brandi Glanville -- who accused singer LeAnn Rimes of stalking her husband -- has finally left him.
She tells Us Weekly: "Eddie and I have decided to take some time apart. I want to do what is best for our children. Eddie and LeAnn deserve each other."
The couple have two sons, ages 6 and 2.
The straw that broke her back was when Cibrian and Rimes were caught together (again) in the early afternoon of July 17 outside the Malibu home of Jeff Berger, a longtime friend of Rimes and her husband, Dean Sheremet.
What? Of her husband? OK, this is just too sick.
But there's more...
And then there was that news of Cibrian also having an affair with 24-year-old model Scheana Marie Jancan that also came to light around the same time.
Sources tell Us that Berger has been letting Rimes and Cibrian use his home for about a month.
Personally, we don't know how Brandi made it past that finger-sucking restaurant video of her husband and Rimes. That's hard to explain.
"Oh, I got ketchup on my finger and we ran out of napkins..."
Do you blame Brandi for calling it quits? Why did Eddie and LeAnn think they could get away with this?
Or is Eddie's wife deluded?

White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives

White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives
Citing an argument used by the Bush administration, the Secret Service rejects a request from a watchdog group to list those who have visited the White House to discuss the healthcare overhaul.

Reporting from Washington -- Invoking an argument used by President George W. Bush, the Obama administration has turned down a request from a watchdog group for a list of health industry executives who have visited the White House to discuss the massive healthcare overhaul.Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sent a letter to the Secret Service asking about visits from 18 executives representing health insurers, drug makers, doctors and other players in the debate. The group wants the material in order to gauge the influence of those executives in crafting a new healthcare policy.

he Secret Service sent a reply stating that documents revealing the frequency of such visits were considered presidential records exempt from public disclosure laws. The agency also said it was advised by the Justice Department that the Secret Service was within its rights to withhold the information because of the "presidential communications privilege."Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics said it would file suit against the Obama administration as early as today. The group already has sued the administration over its failure to release details about visits from coal industry executives.A White House spokesman, Ben LaBolt, said, "We are reviewing our policy on access to visitor logs and related litigation."
As a candidate, President Obama vowed that in devising a healthcare bill he would invite in TV cameras -- specifically C-SPAN -- so that Americans could have a window into negotiations that normally play out behind closed doors. Having promised transparency, the administration should be willing to disclose who it is consulting in shaping healthcare policy, said an attorney for the citizens' group. In its letter requesting the records, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics asked about visits from Billy Tauzin, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans; William Weldon, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson; and J. James Rohack, president of the American Medical Assn., among others."It's extremely disappointing," said Anne Weismann, the group's chief counsel. Obama is relying on a legal argument that "continues one of the bad, anti-transparency, pro-secrecy approaches that the Bush administration had taken. And it seems completely at odds with the president's commitment . . . to bring a new level of transparency to his government." PhRMA, which represents the nation's drug companies, said it had taken part in two meetings with senior White House officials in the Roosevelt Room. Participants, according to Tauzin, included White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, along with the CEOs of some major drug companies. Both meetings were closed to the public.In an interview, Tauzin said most of the "real negotiations" took place with the Senate Finance Committee. At its meetings with the White House, the drug industry reported on progress made with the Senate and got a briefing from Obama officials "about how they saw" healthcare reform unfolding, Tauzin said.

Arnold's budget dealing: a public health issue?

Earlier this year, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hunkered down with legislators in budget negotiations, the result was a delay of regulations to crack down on cancer-causing diesel pollution from construction and farm equipment. It was a provision intensely sought by business interests, but one with little effect on budgetary or fiscal matters.
Now, once again, environmentalists are sounding the alarm that eco-issues are on the table in the budgetary arm wrestling that has paralyzed Sacramento in recent weeks.
Eight major advocacy groups wrote Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders on July 16 asking that they resist efforts to insert into the budget a provision that could enable the building of new power plants in the Los Angeles Basin.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District, a regional agency, is pushing the provision, incorporated in a stalled Senate bill, SB 696. The air district has been prevented by a recent court ruling from giving out emissions credits for power plants until it fully analyzes the environmental impact. Republican and some Democratic legislators, along with the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups, want any new budget deal to overturn the court decision.
South Coast officials said they view new power plants as necessary to serve a growing population and prevent blackouts. But as a result of lawsuits brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental groups, the agency has delayed the permits for power plants, as well as for hundreds of other businesses, until the credits issue is resolved.
According to the July 16 letter from the Sierra Club, the American Lung Assn. and other groups, overturning the court decision in the budget deal would "add 10 tons per day of dirty particulate pollution to the Los Angeles Air Basin. ... Our organizations have argued strenuously against 11th-hour budget proposals to weaken environmental and public health laws that have nothing to do with the state budget."
Two other issues are also reportedly on the table. Bill Magavern, director of the California branch of the Sierra Club, said Schwarzenegger wants to insert a provision in the budget to overturn the State Lands Commission's denial of a plan to expand offshore oil drilling off Santa Barbara.
And, Magavern said, the governor is also seeking to use the budget deal as a vehicle for his earlier proposal to abolish a key scientific review agency, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, which evaluates the impacts of chemical contaminants.
Aaron McLear, the governor's press secretary, said: "We don't comment on budget negotiations. Once there is a final agreement, we will share that with the press."

CIT Group may be near a deal for financing

CIT Group may be near a deal for financing
Funding would enable the business lender to avoid bankruptcy after the government turned down a request for a second bailout.

CIT Group Inc., the struggling lender denied more federal aid last week, may be close to securing needed funding to avoid bankruptcy, a source close to the matter said.A deal could be struck as early as today, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential.

The company's board met Sunday night to discuss its options, the source said.The New York firm is a key provider of factoring services, supplying quick cash for businesses that have significant upfront costs for material and labor. It plays a major role in keeping the retail industry running, financing about 2,000 vendors that supply merchandise to 340,000 wholesalers and retailers nationwide. Many in the apparel industry were concerned that a bankrupt CIT could lead to more troubles in the shaky retail industry.
A financing deal doesn't necessarily mean that the retail industry will be spared economic difficulties, said Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Assn.

CIT's struggles probably portend stricter rules for lending in the garment industry, she said. "It will help in that it's better than disaster," she said about a potential deal. "But it's going to mean much stricter rules and higher limits on financing."CIT has $1 billion in long-term debt payments due in August, and says it needs $10 billion in funding by March.The company's troubles began when tighter financial markets made it difficult to secure funding for its loans to small businesses.

The company reported a loss of $438 million in the first quarter and $3 billion over the last two years. It has assets of $76 billion.CIT, which picked up $2.33 billion in federal bailout money in December, lost its bid last week for more federal funds.

The Treasury Department said it was sticking to a "very high threshold for exceptional government assistance to individual companies." Still, the new loan, which would come with high interest rates, would probably be a stopgap measure, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the potential deal.Its shares, which traded above $51 two years ago, closed Friday at 70 cents, up 29 cents.

Not guilty?

Russian human rights activist abducted, killed in Chechnya

Natalia Estemirova is the latest in a string of Russians slain after delving into human rights abuses.
Natalia Estemirova is kidnapped in front of her Grozny home by a group of men. Her body is found a few hours later with gunshots to the head and chest.

Reporting from Moscow -- A human rights worker known for her fearless criticism of the Kremlin and its Chechen proxies was abducted in broad daylight and shot to death Wednesday.Natalia Estemirova, who worked doggedly to document ongoing human rights abuses in war-wrecked Chechnya long after international attention had drifted away, was on her way to work when men snatched her off the street in front of her Grozny home. She shouted for help, witnesses later told her colleagues, but the men stuffed her into a car and drove away.

Russia high court overturns acquittals in slaying of journalist

A few hours later, her body turned up in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia. She had been shot in the head and chest.Estemirova was the latest in a string of well-known Russian activists and journalists who were slain after delving into human rights abuses tied to the government, especially those in Chechnya. Each successive death seems to deepen the fear, anger and sense of futility among remaining activists.Estemirova, 51, was the widowed mother of a 15-year-old girl. She worked as a history teacher in Grozny, the Chechen capital, before the first of two wars broke out in the 1990s. As bloodshed spiraled, Estemirova set about documenting the history she was living, first as a journalist and later as a seemingly indefatigable researcher for Memorial, a human rights group.
In recent years, she was one of the lone voices that still spoke out from within Chechnya to describe an underbelly of disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture and heavy-handed autocracy that underpinned the rule of Kremlin-backed President Ramzan Kadyrov."There is a very, very big number of people who disappear for several hours or several days and return home beaten up and psychologically broken, and most of them never say what happened to them," Estemirova said in an interview last year. "This is being seriously hushed up."Like other critics who speak out against Russia's deeply entrenched power structures, Estemirova would have had a keen awareness of her own vulnerability. She had worked closely with investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya and human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov, who were gunned down in 2006 and early this year respectively in Moscow. Both were believed to be victims of contract killings.Neither crime has been solved. "We lost Anna. Now we couldn't protect Natasha," said Alexander Cherkasov, a board member of Memorial. "She was killed for her work."Estemirova had clashed repeatedly with Chechen authorities. She had contributed heavily to recent human rights reports documenting the extrajudicial punishment and burning of homes of people related to suspected anti-Kadyrov rebels.She had also contributed to a report released Wednesday that called for Russian officials, including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, to be held accountable for human rights crimes."There's an atmosphere of impunity," Estemirova said in an interview last year. "We have a list of more than 4,000 people still missing and there are many cases in which we have hard evidence against people who kidnapped them, we even have their names and ranks, but it's impossible to initiate an investigation."Earlier this month, she had publicized the case of a man who was shot to death in the streets of a Chechen village, without trial or investigation, for alleged ties to the rebels."The Chechen authorities immediately made it known . . . that Memorial should not air the household garbage in public like that," Cherkasov said.In a sharp departure from the official reaction (or lack thereof) to the slayings of other critics, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's office offered condolences to her family and said she probably had been killed for her human rights activities. Investigators were dispatched to the Caucasus to open an inquiry.

Arturo Gatti death

Супруге экс-чемпиона мира по боксу в полусреднем весе Артуро Гатти предъявлено обвинение в его убийстве.

Тело боксера было найдено в одном из отелей бразильского курортного города Порту-де-Галиньяс. Полицейские считают, что именно 23-летняя Аманда Родригес после бытовой ссоры задушила спящего мужа ремнем от сумки.
В Бразилии в понедельник полицейские предъявили обвинение в убийстве при отягчающих обстоятельствах супруге канадского бывшего профессионального боксера Артуро Гатти. Тело 37-летнего экс-чемпиона мира в полусреднем весе, завершившего карьеру в 2007 году, было найдено в ночь на воскресенье в номере гостиницы в бразильском курортном городе Порту-де-Галиньяс. Он приехал на курорт со своей 23-летней супругой Амандой Родригес и годовалым сыном.
Изначально местные СМИ сообщали, что боксер был убит из пистолета: якобы криминалисты обнаружили два огнестрельных ранения на теле спортсмена – одно в голову, другое в грудь. Позднее, сообщает издание Los Angeles Times, сотрудники департамента по убийствам и личной защите гражданской полиции штата Пернамбуку, где находится курортный город, опровергли эту информацию.
По данным полиции, Гатти был задушен ремнем от сумки, который убийца не снял с его шеи. Убийство спортсмена сразу показалось следователям подозрительным: на затылке боксера зияла рана, а по всей комнате была разбрызгана кровь.
Чтобы восстановить картину произошедшего, полицейские допросили его супругу Родригес. На допросе женщина так и не смогла внятно объяснить, как она могла не заметить смерти мужа за те 10 часов, что провела с ним в номере. По итогам разговора с женой Гатти полицейские приняли решение арестовать ее. На данный момент, сказал один из представителей правоохранительных органов Пернамбуку, она является единственным подозреваемым.
Основным мотивом убийства следователи считают ревность.
По данным Associated Press, Гатти был убит в ходе бытовой ссоры: в минувшую пятницу он вернулся в свой номер пьяным и закатил жене скандал. Основной его претензией был тот факт, что она взяла с собой в Бразилию слишком откровенные наряды. Сдав годовалого сына на руки сестре Родригес, которая также поехала на курорт, пара выясняла отношения всю ночь, и весь следующий день. Ближе к вечеру воскресенья дело дошло до рукоприкладства, а потом, считают следователи, уставший Гатти уснул.

Воспользовавшись этим, разъяренная Родригес удушила его. Сейчас ей предъявлено обвинение в убийстве при отягчающих обстоятельствах, так как ее жертва была в заведомо беспомощном состоянии.
Новость о смерти Гатти шокировала его друзей, но обстоятельства его убийства их не удивили. «Его сердце было больше, чем его боксерский талант», – сказал его бывший тренер Гейб Лаконте, который сотрудничал с Гатти в начале 1990-х. «К тому же у него проблема с наркотиками, и они с Амандой вроде собирались разводиться. Я точно не знаю, что за проблемы у них были, но вообще он был хорошим человеком, был счастливым и о своих друзьях заботился», – отметил друг боксера Асельено Попо Фрейтас. Поводы для ревности в семье давал и сам Гатти. Три месяца назад он был выпущен из тюрьмы в Монреале, куда попал из-за неявки в суд. Боксер обвинялся в нападении на свою бывшую девушку в стриптиз-клубе во время празднования своего дня рождения.
Артуро Гатти родился в Италии 15 апреля 1972 года, получил гражданство Канады и жил в США. Женившись на Аманде Родригес, он переехал в Бразилию, поскольку его супруга была бразильянкой. На профессиональном ринге он провел 49 боев, в 40 из них победил. В 1995 году, получив за свою боксерскую технику прозвище Гром, он стал чемпионом мира в первой полулегкой, а в 2004 году – в полусредней весовой категориях.

R.I.P. MJ

In the end, they brought Michael Jackson to the one place where his life always made sense -- beneath a spotlight and in front of his adoring fans. The superstar, in a gleaming gold coffin, was celebrated in a Staples Center memorial service that was beamed around the world and, like the icon himself, strove mightily to be all things to all people.With family, celebrity peers, politicians, preachers and even professional athletes taking turns at the microphone, the polished but emotional service was meant both as a farewell and as a deeply sympathetic framing of the star's complicated legacy.

The Rev. Al Sharpton brought the crowd to its feet by drawing a direct cultural line between Jackson's incandescent 1980s pop success and the 2008 election of President Obama. "Those young kids," Sharpton said of Jackson's massive crossover audience, "grew up from being teenage comfortable fans of Michael to being 40 years old and being comfortable to vote for a person of color to be the president of the United States of America." Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) praised Jackson as "a uniquely American hero," and music veteran Smokey Robinson judged him to be, simply, "the greatest performer of all time."Sharpton and several other speakers alluded to media persecution of Jackson, who died June 25 at age 50, but one speaker who had known Jackson for more than four decades suggested that the reality is not that tidy."Sure there were some sad times and maybe some questionable decisions on his part, but Michael Jackson accomplished everything he ever dreamed of," said Berry Gordy, the Motown Records mogul who signed Jackson to his first record deal after an audition in the summer of 1968.
There were many memorable images, but for the years to come the signature moment may have been the public debut of sorts of Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. Protected and, literally, veiled for much of her life, the youngster said through tears:"I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much."The ceremony was by turns somber, evangelical, thunderous and hushed.

There was humor, as well. Former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson recounted how his nervous first visit to Jackson's mansion ended with the pair sitting on the floor and feasting on Kentucky Fried Chicken; Brooke Shields, who was an especially moving speaker, told how she used to tease Jackson about his most famous fashion choice."I'd tease him about the glove," Shields said, referring to the solitary silver glove that became Jackson's trademark. " 'What's up with the glove?' and 'If you're gonna hold my hand, it better be the non-gloved one because the sequins hurt.' "Audience members danced along with some musical performances and stifled tears at some of the many tributes to the singer. There were also shouts from the audience of "Power to the people," "Long live the king," and "We miss you, Michael!"The memorial, a mix of measured grief and show-biz spectacle, was seen across the globe on television and computer screens and covered with the intensity of an election night and the overkill of a Super Bowl Sunday.Forty-seven theaters in 24 states showed the event live. As a local event, it was a surprisingly smooth affair; there was a 30-minute delay to the scheduled start time, but the predicted crush of crowds outside the arena never materialized, which Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton credited to "a steady drumbeat of media coverage in recent days" telling fans without tickets they wouldn't be permitted near the downtown venue.Excluding invited guests, the estimated 17,500 attendees were selected from about 1.6 million who sought entry.The event was produced by Ken Ehrlich, the longtime producer of the Grammy Awards telecast. Other key figures included Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive of AEG, and, somewhat surprisingly, Bratton, who was a presence just off stage throughout the service. He also worked the press line before the event (which, to underscore the circus atmosphere, required stepping over manure left in the wake of his mounted officers) and personally guarded the gilded casket as it arrived at the arena's underground garage.

The event that seemed so smooth and precise to television viewers was more chaotic up close. Ehrlich made a number of major decisions on the fly, such as asking Robinson to open the service by reading letters from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. "I think this might work," Ehrlich said, rushing to hand the letters to the surprised singer, who then calmly climbed the steps to the stage, looked into the camera and greeted the world. Ehrlich also had the lighting changed for the entire arena a few minutes into the show. "It's way too hot in here," he told his lighting crew, using a shorthand expression for glare.Jackson's casket was taken from Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in a motorcade of ebony Rolls-Royces and SUVs on freeways cleared by police. It then was carried into the Staples spotlight by his brothers -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy -- who each wore a solitary sequined glove. Janet Jackson, the second most famous member of the family, left her seat and reached toward the procession, but instead of touching the casket she reached for her living brothers, giving each of them a reassuring grip on the arm.Janet Jackson did not perform as many had expected, but Jermaine Jackson did with a rendition of a "Smile," the bittersweet song of encouragement composed by Charlie Chaplin for his 1936 film "Modern Times." It was Michael Jackson's favorite song, the crowd was told, and the emotion-choked performance by his older brother added to the poignancy of the lyrics, written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons more than 70 years ago:

Smile tho' your heart is aching

Smile even tho' it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky

Designer Anand Jon's sex assault conviction is upheld

Designer Anand Jon's sex assault conviction is upheld
Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times
Anand Jon faces a mandatory life prison sentence.
The judge rules that a juror's contact with the designer's sister before the verdicts did not prevent a fair trial. The juror and sister are cited for contempt of court.

A Los Angeles County judge upheld the sexual assault conviction of Beverly Hills fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander on Monday, ruling that a juror's contact with the defendant's sister before the verdicts did not prevent a fair trial. Attorneys for the Indian-born designer argued that the conviction should be thrown out, alleging that the juror sought sex or money from the defendant's sister toward the end of last year's trial and voted to convict her brother when she refused to meet him alone.
Superior Court Judge David S. Wesley ruled that the juror, Alvin Dymally, committed misconduct by approaching Sanjana Alexander twice in the courthouse and speaking to her on two occasions when she phoned him. Wesley also said he believed the juror lied when he denied under oath ever speaking to Sanjana Alexander before the verdicts. But the judge found that Dymally's actions did not affect the jury's guilty verdicts. He ruled that there was no evidence to support the extortion claim.Wesley said a recording that Sanjana Alexander secretly made of one of the phone calls showed that Dymally, 46, flirted with her and was interested in meeting after the trial. Wesley said Sanjana Alexander and the juror knew they were violating a court order when they spoke to each other. The judge cited them for contempt of court and ordered them to return for hearings in September.
Outside the downtown Los Angeles courtroom Monday, Sanjana Alexander confronted Dymally, a Los Angeles building inspector."It's our lives you're playing with," she told him. "You know the truth." The juror left in silence.Sanjana Alexander, a fashion designer who was dressed in white with a pair of Prada sunglasses, tearfully told reporters that she had tried to do the right thing. "It's a travesty of justice," she said. "I believed in the justice system. I did not go meet up alone with him. If I had, this today wouldn't be happening."Alexander, 35, who goes by the professional name Anand Jon, was found guilty in November of raping one woman and sexually assaulting six other girls and young women. The conviction carries a mandatory life prison sentence. After court on Monday, his defense lawyers vowed to appeal Wesley's decision.The juror's "conduct was outrageous, and it deprived the defendant of a fair trial," said attorney Leonard B. Levine.The controversy began following the guilty verdicts. Sanjana Alexander told her brother's attorneys that a juror twice asked her to call him during the trial.She said the first time she phoned, Dymally reassured her, "We know he is innocent, so don't worry." The second time, she said, he told her: "We need to meet with you alone." She said she refused.During a recent court hearing, Dymally denied talking to her during the trial but invoked his right against self-incrimination when defense attorneys produced Sanjana Alexander's phone recording. According to a transcript filed by prosecutors, the recording shows that the juror complimented Sanjana several times, telling her, "I think that you're really sexy" and suggesting that they meet afterward."Definitely, we will," Sanjana Alexander replied.Deputy Dist. Atty. Frances Young argued that the recording contradicted assertions that Sanjana Alexander rejected the juror's overtures.

Bentley driver's slaying in L.A. might have cartel link

This 2005 Bentley Continental GT was riddled with bullets Dec. 12 on the 101 Freeway in L.A. after a chase that began near Olvera Street. The driver died later.
The LAPD is investigating whether a shooting on the 101 Freeway near downtown in December may have stemmed from an Arellano Felix drug rivalry. The luxury car was riddled with bullets.

The shooting last December was as mysterious as it was brazen: On a downtown stretch of the 101 Freeway, a storm of bullets riddled a $100,000 Bentley, showering the lanes with shell casings and glass, and leaving the driver mortally wounded.And then, for month after month, there was nothing -- no arrests, no suspects publicly identified, no possible motive given.

But the speculation had been unavoidable. The audacity of the attack and the glaring mismatch between the ultra-luxury car and the young Latino victim of little apparent means suggested a Mexican-style narcotics hit, the type that has killed several thousand people in the drug wars south of the border.Now, court records obtained by The Times show that police are investigating whether the predawn shooting was indeed tied to the Mexican dope trade. It would be an unusually bold display of cartel-related violence in the L.A. region.One suspect was charged with murder Thursday.
A search warrant affidavit filed by a Los Angeles Police Department detective says investigators learned that the dead man, 25-year-old Jose Luis Macias, might have been selling drugs here for the notorious Arellano Felix cartel. The document says a friend of his since childhood may have had him gunned down to take over the local business.The affidavit describes a Wild West pursuit of Macias that began with shots fired near the historic Olvera Street plaza, blocks from the Civic Center and LAPD headquarters, before it spilled onto the southbound 101. Like Macias, the suspects, identified as laborers, at one time or another drove cars beyond their outward pay levels -- a Hummer and a Cadillac Escalade, the affidavit says.Earlier this week, the LAPD arrested Michael Angel Aleman, 34, who has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle. Described in the affidavit as a former gang member, he is being held in lieu of $1.38-million bail.The affidavit quotes an officer alleging that a second man, Eddie Escobedo, also known as Eddie Hernandez, wanted Macias killed."He said that Macias was dealing drugs" for the cartel, the document says. "He further stated that a power struggle erupted between the two because Eddie Escobedo wanted to be the 'shot caller.' "Escobedo's whereabouts could not be determined.Another man the affidavit names in connection with the case, Sabino Cabral, 26, is in custody on suspicion of lesser offenses and has not been charged in the killing.Cabral, who was previously arrested in Arizona for allegedly transporting more than 200 kilos of marijuana and possessing a rifle, is believed to have had a 9-millimeter pistol that was used in the Olvera Street shooting, the affidavit says. The affidavit says it is the detective's "belief that Sabino Cabral was present, if not involved in the murder."The document identifies two other men in connection with the investigation, describing them as bodyguards for Escobedo.LAPD officials Thursday declined to discuss the probe. "There are people we need to talk to," said Robbery-Homicide Lt. Greg Strenk.After The Times inquired about the case, the district attorney's office released a statement Thursday confirming that charges had been filed against Aleman. The statement called Macias a car salesman, but did not elaborate and made no reference to the cartel.The court documents contain tipster accounts of two men with handguns first opening fire on the silver 2005 Bentley Continental GT near Olvera Street, about 3 a.m. Dec. 12, as Macias drove away from a celebration of the festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe.The assailants stepped in front of the car at Cesar Chavez Avenue and Alameda Street and started shooting. Macias sped off, made a frantic U-turn and headed toward the freeway, where he was shot minutes later, the affidavit says.Macias suffered multiple head wounds, as rounds punctured the Bentley from back to front, according to the statement. He died in the hospital two days later.The fact that investigators have remained mum since then -- tips had come in almost immediately -- is not unusual considering the life-and-death sensitivity of cases that could involve cartels or their partners in the United States, experts say. In Mexico, the drug organizations have routinely threatened and killed witnesses, authorities say.In recent years, the death and imprisonment of key leaders have weakened the Arellano Felix cartel, but it remains a fierce combatant for drug smuggling routes from Tijuana into Southern California and across the United States, law enforcement officials say.Orlando Lopez, a special agent in charge in California's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, said the cartel brings cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine into the state and acts as a wholesaler for drug-dealing street gangs. "They're very active," he said. "They have members on both sides of the border."The documents in the Macias case do not refer specifically to any cartel chieftains. Nor do they state the cartel directly sanctioned the shooting.But the detective's affidavit, citing an officer's account, says "Eddie placed a 'green light' on victim Macias," vernacular for approving a killing.The Macias probe has stretched from a party supply store to a card club to Cabral's home on 2nd Street in Boyle Heights. Last week, the police seized a .45-caliber handgun, ammunition and several cellphones from the home, the affidavit says. Cabral was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and other traffic violations, police records show.He has also been convicted of carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle, according to court records.In the 1990s, Aleman was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon, and later of voluntary manslaughter, and was sentenced to eight years in prison, prosecutors said.According to the affidavit, Montebello police also have arrested Aleman on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, although the circumstances are not described. The document says the Montebello Police Department arrested Cabral as well, but no details were provided.