Los Angeles Man Wanted by FBI for Murder, Kidnapping and Rape Arrested in MexicoPosted on: November 26, 2012 at 3:10 a.m.A Los Angeles man who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list was apprehended by local authorities in Mexico last Friday, according to reports. Joe Luis Saenz, who was originally from the Los Angeles area, was apprehended by Mexican Federal Police on Friday in the city of Guadalajara in western Mexico. Saenz got onto the FBI’s infamous Most Wanted List by allegedly committing several violent crimes including multiple murders, rape and kidnapping in both 1998 and 2008. Saenz was sought by American law enforcement authorities after allegedly shooting two members of a rival Los Angeles gang in 1998. Less than two weeks later, Saenz is said to have kidnapped, raped and murdered his ex-girlfriend. Saenz has also been accused of committing a fourth murder, also committed in the Los Angeles area, in 2008. Law enforcement officials had had such little luck in tracking Saenz down and apprehending him that they had been offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and capture. Mexican authorities expect to begin the extradition process this week. Saenz, along with a now-deceased accomplice, is said to have lured two members of a rival gang into a trap by promising a drug deal. Saenz is then said to have shot both men several times in the Aliso Village area of Boyle Heights. Saenz, who was on parole at the time of the murders, then fled the scene and went into hiding. He is said to have gone to Sigreta Hernandez, his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his two-year-old daughter. Saenz is then said to have kidnapped Hernandez and taken her back to his grandmother’s home in an unincorporated area of East Los Angeles where he allegedly raped her. Hernandez’s half-naked body was found by Saenz’s grandmother with a gunshot wound at the temple. Saenz’s accomplice in the earlier two murders was arrested after an anonymous tip and unexpectedly gave a detailed confession of the crimes. Saenz was then charged with three counts of murder, as well as kidnapping and rape. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but investigators in the case were unable to find any clues as to his whereabouts until a decade later when he was captured on video surveillance footage shooting a known drug smuggler in the head at a home in Whittier after a drug run had been stopped by a Missouri State Trooper. After the 2008 murder, Saenz was thought to have fled to Mexico, where he allegedly worked as an enforcer for a drug cartel and crossed the border into the United States several times using various aliases and fraudulent traveling documents. The 37-year-old Saenz was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list in 2009. Tagged as: arrest warrant, gang allegations, kidnapping, Murder, violent crimes defense Knicks Basketball Player ArrestedPosted on: May 26, 2012 at 1:16 a.m.Professional basketball player J.R. Smith was arrested in Florida following a routine traffic stop last night. Smith, who plays for the New York Knicks, was pulled over by local law enforcement officers in South Beach around 8:30 in the evening. Why law enforcement decided to stop him is unclear. In the course of the stop, however, officers found Smith had an active warrant out for his arrest stemming from a ticket he had not taken care of. According to reports, the star basketball player had been ticketed for driving without a valid license and had failed to appear in court to answer charges. Smith was arrested and taken to a Miami-Dade County jail and released a short while later on bond. Smith’s case illustrates a scary fact about bench warrants: quite often, you can be wanted by law enforcement and not even know about it. Our nation’s laws protect us from being arrested or harassed by law enforcement without legal cause, and because of that, being arrested in this country actually has several rules and procedures that police officers or other law enforcement agents must strictly adhere to. In many cases, people are arrested because a law enforcement agent sees them behaving in some way that could be criminal or even while committing a crime. For example, many people who are eventually convicted of drinking and driving are initially pulled over by police officers because they were seen swerving within their lane, failing to stop at a stop light, or driving at speeds greater than the posted speed limit. If, like Smith, you are charged with a crime, even a small one like driving without a valid license, and you do not appear in court to answer to your criminal charges, then a bench warrant is issued for your arrest. What this means is that if any law enforcement agent crosses your path you can be arrested. Even if you were stopped for expired car tags or a broken tail light, if the officer who stopped you sees that there is a warrant out for your arrest, you will find yourself taken to the nearest jail. If you know or suspect that there is a bench warrant out for your arrest, you need an experienced Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer right away. At Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, we can help you take care of any arrest warrants you may be dealing with. Call us today at 1-877-781-1570 to speak to an attorney about your case. Tagged as: arrest warrant Pornography and Los Angeles Violent CrimePosted on: June 6, 2010 at 2:36 a.m.Los Angeles is truly the home for odd crimes, as many Criminal Defense Lawyers know, but some cases are odder than others. A Los Angeles Assault Defense will have to be created for a former porn actor who assaulted a coworker and killed others in a shocking Crime. Stephen Hill, who was previously convicted of assault with a firearm in Maryland, was sought after allegedly stabbing three people during a rampage in Van Nuys. This took place at a pornographic video production company. During the alleged incident, Hill used a sword style weapon on three coworkers, one of whom died. The actor was previously convicted of an assault in Maryland, threatening to kill a college teaching assistant. Unfortunately, this Crime took a turn for the worse when the man was caught in a stand-off with police and fell off of a cliff in West Hills when officers attempted to stop him from committing suicide. Hill was distraught from being charged with murder and attempted, both of which are carrying the most serious penalties under the law (life and jail and the death penalty). A violent crime is defined as any criminal act that involves the use or the threat of violence and in most cases violence is used as a means to an end. Rape, robbery and other such crimes involve violence or violent threats. Common Violent Crimes include armed robbery, robbery, battery, assault, manslaughter, murder, attempted murder, gang crimes, domestic violence and others. The criminal justice system takes these crimes quite seriously, handing down severe penalties and long periods of both jail time and probation. Typical penalties include:
If you or someone you love has been charged with a Violent Crime, you need a skilled Criminal Defense Lawyer who can create the best defense possible. At Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin, LLP, our lawyers know the law and have over 50 years of experience. If you need quality legal representation during such strenuous and difficult times, contact us at 877-781-1570. We can create a legal defense geared towards keeping you out of prison, free from fines and that protects your future. Tagged as: arrest warrant, los angeles violent crime defense attorney, pornography Los Angeles WarrantsPosted on: November 25, 2009 at 11:30 p.m.Nikola Dragovic, UCLA’s Serbian star forward, was arrested last Friday in connection with an incident that took place after a concert in Hollywood last month. Dragovic and a friend have been accused of pushing a man into a glass display case following an argument. Initially, Dragovic filed a report of the incident with UCLA’s campus police. But after the district attorney filed a felony assault charge against him and issued a Warrant for his arrest, Dragovic turned himself in after a game against Cal State Bakersfield. While Dragovic was booked and later released on bail, he has been suspended from playing basketball for the university. Dragovic plans to plead not guilty when he appears before a judge in late December. Now is a great time to discuss the different types of Los Angeles Warrants that are issued in the city. Our nation’s Constitution protects us from being arrested or searched for no reason. Warrants essentially give a Los Angeles police officer the right to arrest, detain, or search you in connection with a crime. All Warrants issued in the city are court orders signed by a Los Angeles County judge. A warrant for arrest is issued in cases like Dragovic’s where a defendant is suspected of having committed a crime, but has not yet been arrested by law enforcement agents. A bench warrant is typically issued when a defendant has failed to show up at a scheduled court date. Bench warrants are then issued allowing law enforcement agents to hunt you down and bring you before the court. Search warrants give Los Angeles law enforcement agents permission to either search you or a particular location in connection with a crime that has been committed and that you are believed to be involved in. Once you find out that either an arrest Warrant or a bench Warrant has been issued in your name, it is important that you contact the Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP immediately. As experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys with decades of experience in dealing with all types of warrants, we know that ignoring warrants can lead to big problems. Call today for expert legal advice and help in dealing with any warrants issued against you. Tagged as: arrest warrant, bench warrants, los angeles criminal defense attorney, los angeles warrant Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin LLP has been recognized as one of the best U.S. law firms, based on the experience, professionalism, and ethics of its criminal defense lawyers and attorneys. We aggressively defend clients in all Southern California courtrooms on state and federal charges, including DUI, DMV, misdemeanor, felony, juvenile cases, in the following communities and courthouses. |
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