Police Reopen 35-Year-Old Cold Case Murder of Lakewood Teen

It was 35 years ago -- Aug. 12, 1978 -- when four teenagers from Lakewood drove down to Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego to surf and party. James Alt, 17, and his girlfriend, Barbara Nantais, 15, cuddled up in sleeping bags and dozed off together on the beach.

By the time the sun rose the next morning, Alt was severely beaten and left for dead. Barbara had been bludgeoned and strangled to death, her young body left mutilated and posed on the sand. James, who suffered serious head injuries, had no memory of the attack.

The San Diego Police Department has never been able to solve the case -- even after a second, similar slaying on the beach years later of a girl who looked much like Barbara, pictured below. It ended up in the department’s cold case files.

But now, new DNA technology might lead detectives to a suspect.

James Alt, now 52, said he has grown frustrated with what he sees as inaction by the San Diego Police Department. The brutal crime has left deep scars Alt - scars both physical and psychological.

Barbara’s family grieved and moved on, but Alt said his entire life has been defined by the attack.

He said he feels guilty for failing to protect his girlfriend, and he constantly feels anxious and angry that whoever killed her -- and nearly killed him -- could still be out there somewhere.

"It's the same song and dance every year,” Alt said. “The clock keeps ticking. ‘We're working on it.’ Working on what?”

Nantais family and Alt last year joined together to push the San Diego Police Department to reopen the cold case, or at least release more information about it to them. Their efforts have apparently paid off as detectives recently began conducting new DNA tests and re-interviewing witnesses.
San Diego police Lt. Ernie Herbert said there have been major advances in DNA technology since the case was last reviewed.

Barbara’s younger brother is Tom Nantais, an attorney in Long Beach. He said his family has moved on from the intensely painful experience of losing Barbara, but Alt’s daily torment still weighs on them.

"For us as a family, until (Alt) gets resolution, it'll be that one nagging door left open that we'd like to be able to shut,” Nantais said. “If he gets resolution, I'll have resolution."

Nantais said he still thinks about Barbara, especially as he watches his own daughter grow up.

"I see that picture of my sister who's (15) years old, and I see my daughter getting older and I just recognize how she just barely had any time on this earth to fulfill her potential,” Nantais said. “She was just budding as a person, as a human being, and she had massive potential. ... That's probably the biggest frustration, is to not see what she would have been.”

Police believe a another killing on the same beach on Aug. 24, 1984 -- almost exactly six years later -- maybe related to Barbara’s death, according to the San Diego Police Department. In that case,

Claire Hough, 14, was killed and mutilated in a similar manner to Barbara.

"I believe somewhere down the line someone dropped the ball and they're not willing to admit it,” Alt said.

Lawmakers push to increase penalties for sex offenders who remove GPS trackers

The number of warrants for paroled sex offenders who are removing their ankle trackers has nearly doubled since California reduced penalties to aid in alleviating prison crowding, officials said this week.

The state's policy change, which sent parolees to county jail instead of state prison for low-level crimes, means offenders only spend a few days in local lockup; if the facility is overcrowded, it could mean no jail time at all.
The consequences of the new law, known as AB 109, has lawmakers, police and residents worried about public safety.

Before the law change took effect in October 2011, an average of 209 criminals violated probation each month; by December 2012, the most recent month available, the average had risen to 346 cases - an increase of 65 percent.

In Los Angeles County, where the Sheriff's Department holds parole violators for their full jail sentence, there has been a 70 percent increase in GPS warrants for sex offenders.
State Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, recently proposed Senate Bill 57, which would increase penalties and enforcement for sex offenders who remove their GPS tracer. The bill so far has passed out of the Senate Public Safety Committee that Lieu sits on, and will now undergo a fiscal review.

"Too many convicted sex offenders are cutting off their GPS monitoring devices because they're convinced little will happen to them, and that must change to make our streets safer," said Lieu, who represents a small slice of Long Beach. "By increasing punishment for this crime, we hope these sex offenders will have second thoughts about roaming freely among the public with zero oversight. " The bill targets sex offenders because they have a "significantly higher recidivism rates when they are not being monitored," Lieu said.

Some of the bill's highlights include a mandatory 180 days in county jail for the first offense of GPS removal, a mandatory one year in jail and parole revocation for second time offenders, and for third-time offenders, felony charges and state prison for between 16 months and three years.

"There are shockingly high numbers of people cutting off their bracelets," Lieu said. "If we don't fix this problem, the integrity of our GPS monitoring system for sex offenders is at risk. "
Stricter penalties is exactly what probation officers in Los Angeles County are urging.

Over the course of three weeks in April, Los Angeles County Probation held the department's largest special enforcement operation of the year. Thirty officers conducted 137 compliance checks and searches of AB 109 felons who have a history of sex offense.

During the three-week operation, children were found in the same residence shared by a convicted pedophile; 21 total offenders on probation were arrested, 14 computer hard-drives and phones were seized and heroine, methamphetamine and marijuana were found, along with a rifle, pepper spray and a PR22 baton.

"If you are a high risk offender out there, get ready, we are going to focus on you," Chief Probation Officer Jerry Powers said in a statement.
Assistant Chief Margarita Perez said more than 61 percent of offenders in Los Angeles County are high or very high risk.

"Only one to two percent of the county's offenders are low risk," she said.
Steven Howell, the lead supervisor for "Operation Tracker," said the county needs to "ensure the safety of children, and ensure that AB 109 probationers are following the law.

Kevin Hart arrested on suspicion of DUI in LA

Comedian Kevin Hart was detained on suspicion of DUI after he allegedly failed a field sobriety test (FST) on Sunday.
The 33-year-old was booked for misdemeanor DUI around 5:59 a.m. after he was pulled over by police on Highway 101.
According to the CHP, Hart was driving his black Mercedes erratically at speeds reaching over 90 miles per hour and nearly crashed into a gas tanker.
The Pennsylvania native addressed the incident on his Twitter page Sunday following his release.
"When the cop asked me to take the sobriety test I said 'WHY WASTE OUR TIME .... I'M DRUNK MAN' .... #TrueStory," Hart tweeted.
The comedian shortly said there was nothing laughable about driving drunk.
"This is a wake up call for me, I have to be smarter & last night I wasn't .... everything happens for a reason," he added.
Hart is best known for his stand-up specials and his role in several movies including "Think Like A Man" and "The Five-Year Engagement."

Man suspected of DUI dies after LAPD stop

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police say they'll investigate the death of a DUI suspect who died after police used a stun gun on him.
In a release Tuesday, police say they responded to a traffic accident on April 4 where the alleged drunken driver was still at the scene on Vermont Ave. near Interstate 101.
Police say 50-year-old Mark Courtier attempted to run away so one of the officers used a stun gun on him, and he was taken down by officers and handcuffed.
Police say they requested paramedics for Courtier, whose face was cut when he was being taken into custody. He was cared for by paramedics and taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The use of force in the incident is under investigation.

Tips to find right DUI attorney

How to choose perfect DUI lawyer in Long Beach

In certain time of one's life, People have to deal with law, knowing how to deal the legal systems can be hard. The key reason for this is that the common individual cannot possible to understand all the nook and corner of the judicial systems and obtaining a right details is not certain thing which anyone can do. If you have been involved in any DUI case in long beach, it is important to choose a perfect DUI lawyer.

There are some tips for you to choose a best DUI attorney. People always require attorney at odd hours of the day. Hence it is essential that the attorney you retain is ready to give advice whenever you need it. If the lawyer has a good track record, then it is easy for you to reduce the sentence of punishment. A truthful attorney will brief you regarding the advantages and disadvantage of the various programs of action which they recommend. Additionally they will also say you regarding the cost that is involved in the case. There are some advantages which you can get from choosing perfect DUI attorney. A professional attorney can fight for you and win the case according to your favor. He will also try his best to reduce the penalty. These lawyers will have a good relationship with court personnel and will be updated with the new law rules and regulation.

Things to consider before hiring a DUI lawyer

It is illegal to drive a car after drinking alcohol. If you have been accused for DUI case, then you want to protect yourself through hiring a DUI attorney immediately. Even though it is essential to hire a DUI lawyer soon, it is also necessary to consider certain things before hiring them. Online resources are one of the best ways to find a DUI attorney. You can also ask your friends or any of your family members to recommend one. After a list of names, plan for the initial consultation. It is the first meeting and it offers you the opportunity to know about the lawyer. At the time of consultation, your aim is to know about DUI and the lawyer. Your DUI lawyer must have many number of years experience in long beach. So ask him the time period he has been practicing, number of cases he has done and relationship with jury, court staff and prosecutors.

Experience is the most essential factors in hiring a lawyer. He knows different approaches to handle your case and analyze your options. You must also consider the recommended choices, possible results, how the lawyer plans to save you and whether you understand and accept with the strategy given by the DUI attorney. Usually these lawyers charge by the hour, but some may charge flat fee. So check about the amount of the hourly rate, whether the retainer fee is needed, whether cost and expenses are added in the amount and what the estimated total amount will be etc. You want to trust your DUI lawyer and must contain confidence in the judgment.

Long Beach DUI Defense Lawyer

Trumping a DUI or DWI fee can be rather complex and gaining the test that could adhere to the charge could need innovative lawful and technical arguments. However, i am not claiming that it is impossible to dominate a DUI. Oftentimes, a DUI will lead to driving limitations, absence of the driving license and sometimes prison. Because of this, you must have an idea effective ways to beat a DUI in order that your record remains clean.

When charged with DUI. You should take into consideration tapping the services of DUI attorney that will certainly assist you win your case. Below are a couple of ways that you could wearing to defeat DUI. Evaluate if the law enforcement agent Mirandized you. When arrested on trial of drunk driving, the jailing officer must read you your Miranda civil liberties which are primarily the right to a lawyer, sustaining silence among other rights. If if your arresting officer did not read you your Miranda rights, then something that you may have done or stated and even the test outcomes may effectively be inadmissible and abolished in the judge.

You could likewise take into consideration overturning high quality results. Oftentimes, the criminal prosecution will largely rely on the sobriety test outcomes along with what your arresting law enforcement agent will certainly affirm versus you. In numerous celebrations, the sobriety tests will certainly be unstable and ambiguous. As a result, depending on your own ingenuity and your defense lawyer, you can disprove the examinations. This can be attained by presenting lawful court with valid causes of your disability or by using bad weather considering that the source of your bad driving.

You also can wearing booking room videos to disprove the cases of one's detaining officer. When you are apprehensions, it can be expected that your speech and balance will probably be checked for usage as proof for that testimonies the detaining policeman will certainly offer you. A youtube video clip showing incredibly harmony and noticeable dialog can be made use of to defeat a DUI.

Unlawful search or illegal quiting or apprehension. Any type of officer that will certainly arrest your self on uncertainty of DUI actually should have articulate and particular facts for stopping, looking or jailing you. You could beat a DUI by giving evidence of any kind of illegal treatments how the police officer will carry on you in the past, during and after your detention. You'll discover numerous means that one can utilize within defeating DUI. You will need aid from a professional lawyer that will certainly aid you defeat DUI as a few of the means will just work as soon as you have an idea the precise legislation as well as restrictions.

Go over the reality in addition to your DUI legal representative promptly and share all the info worrying the situations where the collision took place meanings that your DUI attorney can create a solid defense for you. Your legal representative will certainly reveal you from the legal process and support to state all defenses. At some time when hindered people make indicting Californiaments that can be misunderstood along with a great DUI legal representative can work to ensure that those words are not wearinged against you.

Why Would You Need A DUI Attorney

People commonly get arrested for driving under influence, or DUI. You cannot foresee this happening, and it is a common occurrence. You should always think about the consequences when you are about to get behind the wheel, after you have previously consumed alcohol, or drugs. Then you will need the help of a DUI attorney. You can never know when a police officer will pull you over, in order to perform a sobriety test on you, such as the well-known breathalyzer, which can easily determine the level of alcohol found in your bloodstream.

Every driver that fails the breathalyzer runs the risk of being arrested for DUI. A DUI lawyer can represent you in court, and he is needed when you have been charged for driving your automobile after you have used alcohol, or drugs, in a larger measure than it is permitted by the law of a certain state. Once a DUI lawyer is hired, he is in charge of handling the case.

A DUI lawyer needs to inform his client about all the possible punishments, in case he is convicted, and these include everything from jail time, to suspended license, fees, and revoked. The client needs to be mindful of the magnitude of this situation, and of all the penalties that he may need to support. Instead of deceiving his client that everything is under control, a truthful lawyer will present him all the consequences of his actions, regardless of how bad they may be.

If you have hired a specialized lawyer, your charges may be decreased; because he will make everything he can to convince the court to reduce your punishment. There have been numerous cases in which the lawyers were successful in court by claiming that the police had no right to stop their clients' cars, and to perform sobriety tests on them. Moreover, a DUI lawyer is required to present to his client all his legal rights, and to make sure that he apprehends the complexity of the situation. For instance, if the driver is at his first conviction, the final sentence will be less severe. You shouldn't hurry when choosing a lawyer. The DUI attorney must be wise, experienced, and proficient, and these are three qualities that are very hard to find.

A good lawyer has to know exactly what to say and when to say in order to make up a great plea. Before anything, you will need to establish the exact nature of you own case. For example, if you think that your case will go to trial you will have to find a DUI lawyer who is an expert on trial law. You can easily ask your friends for suggestions. You will soon notice that most persons around you have experienced legal problems for DUI at least once during their life. They can give you some advice or names of great lawyers. Next, you should look on the internet, and find out more details of their previous cases, and what other people think of them.

Don't forget that a good lawyer will always explain legal things using a language that his clients will understand. When you hire a DUI attorney, you need to be sure that he will do everything that needs to be done in order to help you to win the trial. In the end, only thing that you need to do is always avoid driving after you have used drugs, or alcohol.