ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY IN CHP OFFICER'S DEATH.Byline: Rod Leveque Staff Writer As his mother sobbed in a nearly empty West Covina West Covina, city (1990 pop. 96,086), Los Angeles co., S Calif., in the San Gabriel valley; settled 1905, inc. 1923. Before World War II, West Covina was a small rural community where walnuts, wheat, and livestock were raised. courtroom, 16- year-old Valentino Mitchell Arenas pleaded guilty Monday to the cold- blooded murder of a CHP CHP Chapter CHP Combined Heat and Power CHP California Highway Patrol CHP Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (Turkish: Republican People's Party) CHP Chemical Hygiene Plan (OSHA) CHP Community Health Plan officer, acknowledging he may spend the rest of his life in prison. Arenas, who was trying to impress leaders of Pomona's notorious 12th Street Gang, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the April 21 ambush (language) AMBUSH - A language for linear programming problems in a materials processing and transportation network. ["AMBUSH - An Advanced Model Builder for Linear Programming", T.R. White et al, National Petroleum Refiners Assoc Comp Conf (Nov 1971)]. of CHP Officer Thomas Steiner, 35, outside the Pomona Courthouse. ``We have faith in God, faith in the court system, and we expected the outcome to go this direction - not necessarily that he would plead guilty, but that he would be found guilty,'' said Ron Steiner, who glared at his son's killer during the hearing. Arenas, looking solemn and defeated, huddled hud·dle n. 1. A densely packed group or crowd, as of people or animals. 2. Football A brief gathering of a team's players behind the line of scrimmage to receive instructions for the next play. 3. with his lawyer for 40 minutes before entering his plea, just as attorneys were scheduled to begin questioning prospective jurors. Arenas' mother sat in the back row of the courtroom and sobbed. ``I don't want you to take this plea because you think it's definite you will get out,'' defense attorney Joe Borges Joseph Borg (born 19 March 1952) is a Maltese politician and diplomat, associated with the Nationalist Party (the political party currently in government). He was instrumental in the process which led to Malta becoming a member of the European Union in 2004. told him during the hearing. ``But it's the only chance you have.'' Arenas is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 28, when he faces a possible 50 years to life in prison, or life with no chance for parole. Arenas shot Steiner in the head as the Long Beach man walked from the Pomona Court Complex after testifying in a handful of traffic cases. Steiner had been with the California Highway Patrol highway patrol n. A state law enforcement organization whose police officers patrol the public highways. for five years and was stationed at the CHP's Santa Fe Springs Santa Fe Springs, city (1990 pop. 15,520), Los Angeles co., SW Calif., inc. 1957. The city lies in an oil and natural gas region and has diversified manufacturing. station. Arenas later confessed to the murder, saying he stole a car from his dad and a gun from his grandfather and drove to the Pomona Civic Center to hunt a policeman. In his plea, Arenas also admitted the special circumstance allegations of killing a police officer, lying in wait and committing a murder during a drive-by shooting drive-by shooting Public health A phenomenon in which one or more persons–commonly members of street gangs, open fire à la Al Capone from moving vehicles, often in retaliation for an alleged wrong-doing by a rival gang , prosecutor Linda Loftfield said. He also admitted using a gun to commit the crime, and killing Steiner for the benefit of a street gang. Staff Writer Sue Doyle contributed to this report. Rod Leveque, (909) 483-9325 r-leveque(at)dailybulletin.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Valentino Arenas, 16, glances at his attorney, Joe Borges, in West Covina Superior Court on Monday, after Arenas pleaded guilty to killing CHP Officer Thomas Steiner. Thomas R. Cordova/Staff Photographer |
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