Southern California breaking news and trends
No arrests, but lots of leads in Hollywood body parts case
Jason Redmond/AP
Mounted Los Angeles Police officers search the Bronson Canyon area of Griffith Park after a human head was discovered Tuesday by two people walking their dogs below the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles.
Last night at least one local media outlet — CBS LA — reported that according to its sources, LAPD had made an arrest in the Hollywood body parts case. They've since walked that back, and the L.A. Times, and now the LAPD themselves, have said no arrests have taken place.
The Times continue to report, and the LAPD have neither denied nor confirmed, that search warrants have been served in the case. But few details have leaked, except these details CBS and KFI have reported. LAPD says its detectives are plowing through dozens of leads.
In other body parts news, KPCC's Tami Abdollah has this in-depth piece on Indiana Bones, the cadaver dog who found some of the parts, and her handler.
Also, the park where two hikers found the original head has re-opened. LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith tells AP police scoured seven acres of Bronson Canyon for body parts but found nothing more. Smith says it's believed the victim's torso was not dumped in the park and no other remains are there.
Halle Berry accused stalker will not serve additional jail time
Evan Agostini/AP
Halle Berry's accused stalker pleaded no contest before a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge on Thursday, and will not serve any additional jail time.
28-year-old Richard Anthony Franco of Commerce was sentenced to 386 days in county jail, five years of probation, and one year of psychological counseling. A 10-year criminal protective order was also imposed.
For the 193 days he was in custody, Franco received credit for the entirety of his country jail sentence, announced the District Attorney’s office.
According to LAPD, Franco was arrested when Berry reported the presence of a possible burglar after he'd allegedly shown up her at her Hollywood Hills home several times.
Under the terms of a negotiated settlement, one count of first-degree residential burglary was dismissed at the sentencing.
Ocean Tetris: Port of Los Angeles breaks yearly export record
Photo by Greg Bishop via Flickr Creative Commons
The Port of Los Angeles is breaking export records again, topping last year's all-time-high by 14.5 percent with more than two million cargo containers loaded and shipped from the port in 2010.
In all, the port handled almost eight million containers, including empties, which also marked an increase from the previous year.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke about future improvements in a statement, saying, “We’re fortunate to have stronger year-over-year results in 2011 but we are not resting on our laurels as the nation’s premier trade gateway.”
"Exports at the port have been helped by the continued weakness of the U.S. dollar," says the Los Angeles Business Journal, which also attributes the boost in business to the arrival of terminal operator California United Terminals from Long Beach.
'Indiana Bones' and the case of the hiker who maybe took photos with a severed head
Jason Redmond/AP
Two unidentified women hike in Griffith Park near the Hollywood sign after a plastic bag containing a human head was discovered Tuesday by two women walking their dogs on a nearby trail off Canyon Drive.
Though no additional human remains were unearthed today following the disturbing discoveries this week of body parts in the Hollywood Hills, the sad and weird news still got sadder and weirder.
As of Thursday afternoon, the body-part tally stood at five, with two human hands and two human feet recovered Wednesday by cadaver dogs, including one named Indiana Bones.
Additionally, there were unconfirmed reports today that the hiker may have posed for photos with the severed head after calling 911.
Gawker reported that the L.A. Times, New York Post and TMZ were being solicited by a "prominent Hollywood photo agency" shopping around pictures of one of the women posing with the severed head. The asking price for the image was $5,000.
In a phone call with KPCC, LAPD spokesman Andy Smith confirmed that authorities heard rumors about the photos, but that they did not have any hard evidence.
High fives for 'Hand Jive' composer Johnny Otis, dead at 90
Johnny Otis, the "godfather of rhythm and blues," actual father of Shuggie Otis, composer of "Willie and the Hand Jive," producer of Big Mama Thornton's original "Hound Dog" recording, and the fellow who suggested the Creolettes' lead singer Jamesetta change her name to Etta James, died Tuesday at his home in Altadena, CA. He was 90.
