break-in - Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo

33 Police Weapons Stolen

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:37:00 GMT

LAPD is investigating a break in at a SWAT training site. The building was once used by textile business and had been donated to SWAT. According to reports, a training exercise was going to take place on the site and the day before guns were placed inside locked doors. 21 MP-5 submachine guns and a dozen .45 caliber handguns were placed in a locked box and then found to be missing the next day. The building does not have surveillance cameras or an alarm system. The intruders got through bolt locked doors and a metal roll gate. The weapons have been manipulated so that they only shoot blanks, but adjusting them to shoot live rounds is relatively easy for someone knowledgeable about weapons. LAPD detectives are working every angle whether it might have been an inside job or if the building had been under surveillance. Authorities have been informed of the theft in order to be aware of the possible danger they could face during an incident should the weapons fall into the wrong hands.

Fullerton Police Kill Homeless Man in Botched Arrest

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:00:00 GMT

Tensions remain as the District Attorney’s Office of Orange County deal with the incident of a homeless man being beaten by Fullerton Police. The details given by the Los Angeles Times, explain that police were responding to a possible car break-in. Police arrive and approached Kelly Thomas, a homeless man that regularly spends his time in the area. Officers searched his backpack and noticed there were items that did not belong to Thomas. The man tried to run from police and they called for backup. Eventually the officers got him on his stomach. Six officers were involved in the arrest, Thomas was tazed and witnesses explain that he was kicked, and hit on the head. Videos were taken from witnesses who were nearby boarding a bus. By the time Thomas was taken to the hospital he was in bad condition: his face was severely swollen with cuts, bruises and he was in a coma. After five days he was taken off of life support. Footage from a camera inside a public transportation bus, show people commenting on the incident. There are reports that there are more videos taken by witnesses but the D.A.’s Office is reluctant to make them public. The department wants to limit the potential impact it could have on possible jurors if the videos go public. Thomas was 37 years old and had schizophrenia.

The Officers could be charged with manslaughter or even murder if the warranted by the facts. Unusual for a case of this nature is the number of witnesses who seemingly without exception found the conduct of the police to be extreme and unnecessary. See Penal Code Sections 187 and 193.

Here is a video provided by VoiceofOC:

Attempted Break-In of Deputy’s SUV

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:35:00 GMT

30-year-old Fidel Galindo was arrested on October 22nd for attempting to break into an off-duty deputy’s SUV in Laguna Niguel. The deputy chased Mr. Galindo down after seeing him near his SUV. When he finally caught up with him, he held him until Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived.

Mr. Galindo was booked and is currently held on a $20,000 bail for attempted auto theft. California has two laws which address the theft of automobiles – Grand Theft Auto and Unlawful Taking/Driving of a Vehicle (“Joyriding”). Both may be charged either as a misdemeanor or felony depending on the facts of your case and if you have any similar prior convictions.

Penal Code 487(d) (1) defines grand theft auto (GTA) as intent to permanently deprive the owner of the vehicle. This offense is typically prosecuted as a felony and subjects you to anywhere from 16 months to four years in State Prison as well as up to $10,000 in fines. The second law, Vehicle Code 10851 (“Joyriding”), requires intent to temporarily deprive the owner of the vehicle. This offense is typically charged as a misdemeanor and subjects you to a maximum of 1 year county jail.

If Mr. Galindo had broken into the car before he stole it, he may additionally be charged with auto burglary under Penal Code 459. However, if an experienced criminal defense attorney can prove that you didn’t intend to deprive the owner of his/her car, you can’t be convicted of GTA or vehicle theft.