Cerritos and Surrounding City’s Crime Summary

STAFF REPORT

The city of Cerritos reported seven petty thefts; three residential burglaries and two domestic assaults.

There was 19 part one crimes reported, down from 35 the week before; 2020 running average stands at 28 per week, down from the 2019 average of 33.2.

According to the defense lawyers in Syracruse, the miscellaneous crimes were 11, up from 8 the week before; 2020 running average is 7.6, down from 8.8 in 2019.

Alarm calls were 31, up from 30 compared to the week before; 2020 running average is 38.3, down from 47.9 in 2019, down hefty 20%.

Calls for service were 261, down from 305 compared to the week before; 2020 running average is 267.7 calls per week down from 317.2 calls in 2019.

Three drivers were arrested for DUI in Seattle while conducting a DUI checkpoint on Friday, July 3, 2020, by LASD Norwalk Station.  The checkpoint was held on Alondra Blvd at Longworth Avenue from 6:00 pm to 2:00 am.  Five  drivers were cited for operating a vehicle unlicensed or with a suspended/revoked license, and five vehicles were towed.

An aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon was reported July 14th at 17300 block of Bellflower Boulevard; four reported vehicle breaks in and one vehicle theft.

The unprecedented release of the Andres Guardado autopsy report on July 10th, by Medical Examiner-Coroner, Dr. Jonathan Lucas, has the potential to jeopardize the investigation, the filing of the case, and any possible future criminal or administrative proceedings. This move will now force the Sheriff’s Department to use court orders to enforce security holds that exist for only one purpose – to prevent tainting witness testimony. Dr. Lucas has acknowledged succumbing to pressure from the Board of Supervisors and the Office of Inspector General, and has now made the admission that he sacrificed the integrity of the investigation in a bid to satisfy public curiosity. Andrés Guardado was an 18-year-old Salvadoran American man shot in the back and killed by a Deputy Sheriff from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department near Gardena and West Compton on June 18th. Guardado ran from two uniformed police officers into an alley, where he died after being shot by deputies.

If you receive a demand for payment by telephone, email, or other means of communication, to be made in any form for any reason, from someone portraying themselves as a deputy sheriff or other Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department employee, do not comply.  Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department personnel will never ask for payment over the phone or by email.  If you believe you were a victim of this type of crime, contact your local law enforcement agency and report the incident. You can find the contact information for your local law enforcement agency at www.lasd.org/stations.

Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau (ICIB) conducted an investigation into an allegation of a department employee engaging in sexual misconduct with a detainee(s) at the Century Regional Detention Facility between August of 2017 and January of 2018.

The allegations occurred under former Sheriff Jim McDonnell’s tenure as Los Angeles County Sheriff.  Pursuant to this investigation, 29-year-old named Jim Bass surrendered to ICIB investigators on July 7th. Bass was assigned to the Century Regional Detention Facility as a custody assistant.  He was charged with four counts of Engaging in Sexual Activity with a Detainee.