SOUTH GATE (CBS) — Authorities Sunday identified a woman who was fatally shot during a carjacking in South Gate on Friday morning.

Rosa Evelit Branenriquez, 44, of Huntington Park, died after the attack, which took place at 2:20 a.m. in the 8900 block of San Juan Avenue, according to coroner’s Investigator Jim Blacklock.

Authorities are looking for Branenriquez’s attackers, who were described only as a man and a woman. They are also searching for her dark-colored 2005 Infiniti QX56, which has a California license plate: 6MHC829.

Anyone with more information about the crime was urged to call South Gate police Detective Derek O’Malley at (323)357-9693.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

ANAHEIM (CBS)  — Has the cop become the criminal? A retired Huntington Park police chief is being accused of lewd acts, according to authorities.

Anaheim investigators Wednesday said they sought Paul Lawrence Wodley, 56,  for allegedly leaving lewd photos of himself in public locations. They also accuse him of flashing a woman in Anaheim late last month.

On Nov. 4, a woman reported that she found a photograph of male genitalia on the ground near a running trail at Oak Canyon Road in eastern Anaheim, according to Anaheim Police Sargeant Rick Martinez said. The woman said she had seen similar photographs of both male and female genitalia on the trail previously.

Martinez said that on Nov. 25 a woman was hiking near Toyon Park around 6 a.m. when a man passed her and exposed himself, walking past her with his pants lowered to his knees.

Four days later, three women who had been exercising at the park found photos of male genitalia left on the windshield of their cars, Martinez said.

Investigators were able to link the cases and identified Wadley as the suspect, Martinez said.

A warrant has been issued for Wadley’s arrest.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

HUNTINGTON PARK (CBS) —  A person was struck and killed Thursday by a garbage truck in Huntington Park.

The crash occurred around 5 p.m. at 7407 Marbrisa Ave., near Florence Avenue, said Supervisor Michael Pittman of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The victim’s name was being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two men have been arrested in connection with a car theft ring that used fraudulent documents to steal more than a million dollars worth of vehicles.

California Highway Patrol investigators said 46-year-old Kirsio Cruz of Norco and 64-year-old Luis Marroquin of Huntington Park were arrested at a used car dealership in Los Angeles Thursday.

Officer Daniel Hesser says the two are accused of stealing 26 cars worth at least $1.2 million.

Investigators say the men used fake documents to remove the actual lien holders from the vehicles’ titles with fake notary and DMV stamps.

The state attorney general’s office has filed multiple charges against Cruz and Marroquin in Superior Court.

The investigation is ongoing.

(© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Authorities have identified a woman whose butchered body was found in a freezer in Maywood. Coroner’s officials say 42-year-old Miralda Espinoza died of asphyxia and neck compression.

Espinoza’s 19-year-old son, Moises Meraz-Espinoza, told police at the Huntington Park station that he killed his mother, sheriff’s deputies said.

It was unclear when the killing occurred, but the body apparently had been stored in the freezer for about a week.

Landlord Epifanio Hernandez said detectives seized the refrigerator and freezer as evidence, and that he saw blood on the floor and in the shower.

Meraz-Espinoza was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail, sheriff’s deputies said.

Neighbors said the two shared the apartment where the body was found, but the woman had not been seen for about a week.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The former president of a Huntington Beach company has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for embezzling nearly $4 million from 24 California cities.

Belinda Exon, of Phoenix, was sentenced Monday in Los Angeles federal court. Her prison term will begin on June 3.

Prosecutors say Exon embezzled $3.9 million held by Rehab Financial Services, a company that kept grant money and other funds in escrow for city governments.

She pleaded guilty in May to taking more than $1 million from San Francisco, about $750,000 from Pomona and nearly $500,000 each from Seal Beach and Huntington Park. Prosecutors say Exon used the money to buy land in Arizona and fund two companies that she owned.

Other cities in the plea include Fullerton, Camarillo and Santa Cruz.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

HUNTINGTON PARK (CBS) — A man without any identification was shot and killed in Huntington Park, authorities said.

The shooting happened at 8:24 p.m. Thursday in the 7700 block of Alameda Street, near Nadeau Street, Sheriff’s offficials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators were asking the public to call the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 with any information about the victim or shooting. People can remain anonymous by calling “Crime Stoppers” at 1-800- TIPS (8477).

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

HUNTINGTON PARK (CBS) — A two-alarm fire at a food processing plant in Huntington Park caused about $5 million in damages Monday.

The fire at Windsor Foods Golden Tiger in the 6700 block of Alameda Street began around 5:30 a.m. Thick black smoke could be seen for miles as the fire burned through the roof.

Workers discovered the fire — which apparently started in a boiler room — when they reported to work and initially tried to fight the blaze with hand extinguishers before evacuating, according to reports from the scene.

The fire was fueled by soybean oil used in the cooking process, county fire officials said.

Roughly 150 firefighters responded to the blaze. A woman running from the building suffered a possible broke arm, and a firefighter was treated for a minor injury, officials said.

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) — Students at Huntington Park High School walked out of classes Tuesday morning and headed for Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters to protest a proposal that would replace half the teachers at the low-performing campus.

(credit: CBS)

The LAUSD board is scheduled to vote on a proposal that calls for replacing at least half the teachers at the school by July as part of a turnaround plan.

Last year, only 5 percent of the Huntington Park students tested as proficient or better in math and 24 percent were proficient or better in English. Huntington Park High School has a 26 percent dropout rate.

The Los Angeles Unified School District board is expected to vote on the plan Tuesday. The nation’s second-largest district has been re-interviewing teachers at low-performing schools. Huntington Park is the first campus where at least 50 percent of the staff is being replaced.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

(credit: facebook.com/hp3kings)

Three Kings’ Day, also known as El Dia de los Reyes Magos, is a traditional Latin American/Spanish celebration of the day that the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem at the scene of the Nativity. It is celebrated on January 6, or the 12th day of Christmas (the day of the Epiphany). In many cultures, gifts were traditionally exchanged on this day rather than on Christmas. Now, although most families have shifted gift-giving to Christmas Day, Three Kings’ Day is still celebrated with parties, parades, and a famous cake (Rosca de Reyes).

Three Kings’ Day Celebrations (January 6)

(credit: facebook.com/hp3kings)

Huntington Park’s 15th Annual Three Kings Procession

Pacific Blvd. between Florence and Randolph

Huntington Park, CA 90255

(323) 826-9831

www.facebook.com/hp3kings

Save to foursquare

The City of Huntington Park has hosted a traditional Three Kings Procession for the past 14 years. The event starts with a religious procession with the Three Kings on horse, camel, and elephant, starting on Florence Avenue and Pacific and ending at Pacific Blvd. and Randolph Avenue. The procession ends at a nativity site with actors dressed as the traditional religious figures. The event also features a children’s fair and live entertainment.

Time: 2:00 PM festival; 7:00 PM procession
Cost: Free

(credit: olvera-street.com)

Olvera Street Fiesta de los Tres Reyes

El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historic Park

845 N. Alameda Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 625-7074

www.olvera-street.com/html/fiestas.html

Save to foursquare

Historic Olvera Street will mark the celebration of the Epiphany of the Magi (visit of the Three Kings) with music and a colorful theatrical procession on Olvera Street. Known as the birthplace of Los Angeles, Olvera Street features 27 historic buildings built in a traditional Mexican style, handcrafted Mexican wares typical of old Mexico, and cafes and restaurants serving up traditional Mexican cuisine.

Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Cost: Free

(credit: disneylandnews.com)

Three Kings Day at Disneyland

Disneyland Park

1313 S. Disneyland Drive

Anaheim, CA 92802

(714) 781-4565

disneylandnews.com/2011/11/18/fun-facts-for-a-merry-disneyland-holiday-celebration/

Save to foursquare

For the first time, the holiday season at Disneyland Resort will be extended to celebrate Three Kings Day. From Jan. 6-8, 2012, the theme park will be offering special décor and entertainment in Frontierland that showcases western and Mexican heritage, along with food and childrens’ activities themed to the holiday.

Time: All day

Cost: Free with park admission

(credit: artimexbakery.com)

Where to Get Rosca de Reyes

Rosca de Reyes, a ring-shaped cake served on Three Kings’ Day, comes with a secret. Baked into each rosca is a tiny plastic baby Jesus (be careful when you get your slice not to eat it!). Tradition dictates that the person who receives the baby Jesus in his or her slice must throw a party on February 2 (Candlemas Day, or Dia de la Candelaria) and serve tamales to the guests. Where can you find a Three Kings’ Day cake in Los Angeles? Here are a few bakeries famous for their roscas:

La Morenita Bakery

1157 Cypress Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90065

(323) 222-7953

www.facebook.com/pages/La-Morenita-Bakery/250586685818?sk=info

Save to foursquare

La Monarca Bakery

6365 Pacific Boulevard

Huntington Park, CA 90255

(323) 585-5500

www.lamonarcabakery.com

Save to foursquare

also:

5700 E. Whittier Blvd
Commerce, CA 90022
(323) 869-8800

1300 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 451-1114

America’s Café and Bakery

3654 Slauson Ave.

Maywood, CA 90270

(323) 582-1587

www.facebook.com/pages/Americas-Cafe-and-Bakery/115481178478065?ref=ts&sk=info

Save to foursquare

Artimex Bakery

12764 Florence Avenue

Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

(562) 777-0924

www.artimexbakery.com/

Save to foursquare

Jeanne Ponessa Fratello writes about kids’ nutrition for the Jolly Tomato and about South Bay events and attractions for South Bay Sparkle.

HUNTINGTON PARK (CBS) — A 30-something woman has been found dead — bound and possibly strangled — inside a Huntington Park business, according to authorities.

Police were dispatched to Global Nature at 2703 E. Florence Avenue just after 6 p.m. Thursday.

Lt. Cosme Lozano of the Huntington Park Police Department said the victim “was the sole occupant of the business.”

The victim’s relationship to the business was under investigation.

The woman was not identified until her next of kin can be notified. Unconfirmed reports say she is Latino and about 30 years of age.

She was found by several customers in a back room.

The motive for the murder is not known but police believe robbery is likely.

The business did not have surveillance cameras.

HUNTINGTON PARK (CBS) — Authorities are searching for a robber who killed a vitamin store worker Thursday night.

Customers who entered Global Nature, which is located at 2703 E. Florence Ave., found the victim bound and gagged in a back room at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Detectives, who believe the woman died of strangulation or suffocation, say she was not breathing when they arrived.

“Doors were open; it was right around six o’clock in evening,” Det. David Cassidy of the Huntington Park Police Department told CBS2. “This was very bold for the suspect to be able tie up the victim. I’m sure if he would have just asked for the money, she would have just given the money out of the cash register to him.”

Officials are asking anyone with information about the crime to contact the Huntington Park Police Department.

HUNTINGTON PARK (CBS) — Police said a male kidnapping victim has been found safe after a sheriff’s SWAT team was deployed to a Huntington Park neighborhood on Wednesday.

The victim was transported to Saint Francis Hospital to be treated for minor injuries, authorities said.

Three suspects are also reportedly in custody, but none of them were arrested in Huntington Park. The location where they were taken into custody is still undisclosed.

The investigation was conducted in the 6100 block of Rugby Avenue after authorities got a search warrant for the apartment building after receiving information from the arrests.

SKY9′s Heather Lawrence reports Randolph Street was closed between Pacific Boulevard and Malabar Street during the investigation as authorities told residents to stay indoors until the area is clear.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

HUNTINGTON PARK (CBS) — Authorities are trying to determine why a 72-year-old man killed his 69-year-old wife with a hatchet before taking his own life in Huntington Park.

Officials say Adalberto Reyes killed Juana Reyes and then hanged himself.

Police were alerted to the deaths about 1 p.m. Tuesday by a 911 call made from the couple’s home in the 2600 block of East 56th Street, near Pacific Avenue, said Sgt. David Cassidy of the Huntington Park Police Department. The bodies were found when “someone came home,” he said.

Craig Harvey of the coroner’s office said autopsies are scheduled for tomorrow, but that preliminary indications point to a case of murder-suicide.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — White Memorial Medical Center is asking for the public’s help to identify a woman who has been at the hospital for weeks.

The reported “Jane Doe,” believed to be in her 50s, was brought to the hospital after being found in a church parking lot in Huntington Park, according to hospital spokesperson Alicia Gonzalez.

Gonzalez did not disclose the condition in which the woman was found — only that she had no documentation when she was transported from St. Martha’s Church.

The woman is confused and can’t remember who she is, Gonzalez said.

The patient was described as Hispanic, 5 feet tall and 151 pounds, with brown eyes and gray hair. Anyone with information about her identity was asked to call the hospital at (323) 268-5000 and have the operator page beeper 494.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

HUNTINGTON PARK (CBSLA.com) — An East Los Angeles bank was evacuated Wednesday morning after a robbery victim strapped with an unknown device was found inside the building.

KNX 1070′s Pete Demetriou reports two suspects with ski masks reportedly abducted the woman in front of her home in Huntington Park early Wednesday morning.

The suspects transported the victim to a Bank of America branch at 941 South Atlantic Blvd. around 8:30 a.m., where they reportedly strapped the device around the woman’s waist and ordered her to withdraw money, deputies said.

They then fled the location with an unknown amount of cash in a getaway car, possibly a white Kia with a partial California license plate 6HOR54, according to deputies.

CBS2′s Dave Lopez caught a glimpse of the woman, who is reportedly the bank’s branch manager.

“She was taken to a squad car where we were able to get a couple of good pictures of her,” Lopez told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO. “She was hiding her face; she had tears in her eyes, mascara had run down her face.”

Officials evacuated the bank as bomb squad members arrived.

A robotic device denoted the item and determined it was not explosive.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The FBI confirms it is looking into similarities between two bizarre bank robberies involving kidnapped bank managers and alleged bombs.

The bank manager in the first case, Michelle Renee, who was the subject of a past “48 HOURS Mystery,” spoke exclusively to CBS2 reporter Carter Evans about her ordeal.

In November of 2000, Renee was kidnapped at her home, strapped with a fake bomb and forced to take $360,000 from the Bank of America branch she managed in Vista.

“I immediately thought, ‘This can’t be happening again,’” she says.

Renee knows the latest branch manager who claims to have been kidnapped and strapped with a bomb on Wednesday is now dealing with fear, police interrogations and, says Carter, endless questions.

“It is possible that this could have been an inside job, but they thought the same thing of me,” says Renee, who was home with a young daughter at the time she was abducted. “I robbed the bank to save our lives.”

She wrote a book about her ordeal, which was later turned into a Lifetime movie.

The latest bank robbery, which took place at a Bank of America branch in East Los Angeles, is incredibly, eerily similar.

“I thought it to myself. I’ve had people call me and say this looks like a such copycat crime,” Renee says.

Investigators are not releasing how much was stolen in this week’s caper, but say it was “a significant amount.”

The perpetrators in the first bank robbery in 2000 are serving life sentences.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Police said Wednesday they have made an arrest in connection with the Sept. 5 robbery of a Bank of America branch in East Los Angeles — a man believed to be the boyfriend of the abducted bank manager who was forced to rob her own bank.

Ray Vega, 33, an Arizona resident, was arrested Sept. 6 and booked on suspicion of conspiracy and robbery, Huntington Park police Lt. Neal Mongan said. Vega has since been released after posting $100,000 bail.

Vega, whose father lives in Bell, is believed to be the boyfriend of the bank manager who was kidnapped from in front of her apartment in Huntington Park, strapped to a fake bomb and forced to rob the bank.

“I’ll tell you what I told him,” Vega’s father in Bell told CBS2/KCAL9′s Melissa McCarty. “I don’t know nothing, and I don’t wanna know nothing about it. So you keep me out of it.”

“The investigation remains very fluid, active and is ongoing,” Mongan said in a statement. “Investigators have been working around the clock. We will not be discussing any specific details regarding this investigation.”

Authorities say two suspects abducted the female bank manager outside her apartment in Huntington Park, strapped what they said was a bomb to her body and sent her into her own bank, at 941 S. Atlantic Blvd., at about 8:30 a.m., with instructions to toss cash through a back door, which she did.

The robbers got away with “a decent amount of money,” sheriff’s Capt. Mike Parker said, declining to say how much.

At least one suspect had a gun, according to authorities, who described the robbers only as black men who wore masks.

The kidnapped woman, who was uninjured but distraught, was questioned by police detectives and FBI agents.

A sheriff’s deputy took the alleged bomb off the woman and placed it on the curb, where it was detonated by a robot.

“Investigators determined that although it looked like an explosive device, it was not explosives,” Parker said.

Bomb experts also examined the bank manager’s car, as well as the bank building. The area was declared safe about an hour later, Parker said.

The robbery was reminiscent of a 2003 heist in Erie, Pa., where a pizza deliveryman who had a real bomb attached to his neck robbed a bank and then was killed when the device blew up as state troopers surrounded him.

Anyone with information on the robbery was asked to call Huntington Park police at (323) 584-6254.

RELATED STORIES:

»FBI Investigates Wednesday Bank Robbery, Alleged Kidnap As Possible Copy Cat Case
»Robbery Victim Strapped With Device Found Inside East LA Bank

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The White Memorial Medical Center is still seeking the public’s help Thursday in identifying an unknown patient.

The unidentified Hispanic woman in her 50s or 60s was brought to the Emergency Department at WMMC from St. Martha’s Church parking lot in Huntington Park earlier this month.

The patient has no documentation or evidence of her identity.

She is described as 5 feet tall, 151 pounds, with brown eyes and grey hair.

Anyone with information about her identity is asked to call the hospital at (323) 268-5000 and have the operator page beeper 494.

RELATED STORY: Hospital Needs Help Identifying Female Patient Found At Huntington Park Church

CHINO HILLS (CBSLA.com) — An apparent road rage incident led to a double shooting involving an off-duty police officer in Chino Hills Thursday night.

The shooting took place around 7:52 p.m. near Dripp coffee house at The Shoppes At Chino Hills in the 13800 block of City Center Drive.

The Huntington Park Police officer, who was driving his personal vehicle, and four men in another car pulled into a parking lot following an altercation on the 71 Freeway.

The officer claims the men were armed with at least one weapon, which prompted him to open fire.

The two shooting victims were taken to a hospital, where one was later released. The other was expected to survive.

Adam Nelson, who was at the shopping center, talked to CBS2’s Louisa Hodge.

“I saw this guy and his buddy staggering in the middle of the parking lot. I went and grabbed him and said, ‘Dude, you’ve got to lay down’ cause he was bleeding all over the parking lot,” Nelson said. “And when I started laying him down he started telling me the story about how this gentleman in a fancy car was following them on the 71 and they had road rage with each other. I don’t know which was which, but I’m probably sure it came from both sides, but he followed them all the way into the parking lot. The four gentlemen that parked the car got out and the guy that was still in the car shot at them, hit one guy in the chest and hit the guy I assisted in the wrist, elbow and in the ankle.”

The parking lot remains closed while authorities investigate.