A Bellflower man was sentenced last week to serve five years of formal probation, anger management training and 185 days in jail for a November 2011 road rage pursuit in Los Alamitos.
Robert Allen Barnhart, 54, Bellflower, was convicted of two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one misdemeanor count of battery.
He was sentenced on Friday, Sept. 27.
According to the Orange County Superior Courthouse website, Barhart was sentenced to fives years on probation—which means he won’t actually serve state prison time unless he violates probation—185 days in the Orange County Jail and will have is driver’s license revoked. He must also pay restitution and attend an anger management program.
According to prosecutors, at approximately 10:50 a.m. on Nov. 5, 2011, Barnhart was driving his Dodge Ram truck on Bloomfield Avenue in Los Alamitos when he was rear-ended by 18-year-old Stanton resident Jesse Ochoa at a red traffic light.
Prosecutors said that Barnhart got out of his vehicle and confronted the victim by yelling and making threats at him.
The victim returned to his vehicle and attempted to drive away.
According to the defense, Barnhart considered Ochoa to be a hit-and-run driver and attempted to place Ochoa under citizens arrest.
The prosecution said Barnhart got back inside his truck, chased the victim, and sped up to get in front of Ochoa.
Barnhart swerved, using the right rear bumper of his truck to hit the front of the victim’s driver-side bumper, and caused the victim’s vehicle to spin out into the opposite lane of traffic.
Ochoa then attempted to drive away on the wrong side of the road.
Barnhart sped up and continued to chase the victim’s vehicle.
Barnhart got in front of the victim’s vehicle and immediately swerved and hit the brakes, which caused Ochoa’s vehicle to slam into the passenger side of the defendant’s truck and prevented the victim from driving.
Barnhart got out of his truck, opened the victim’s driver side door and pulled Ochoa out of the car, threw him to the ground, and punched Ochoa with his fists.
Witnesses at the scene restrained Barnhart and contacted the Los Alamitos Police Department, who arrested Barnhart at the scene.
Woman gets eight years for Seal Beach hit-and-run
By Charles M. Kelly
A woman was sentenced to a total of eight years in prison for hitting three Seal Beach bicyclists while driving under the influence and fleeing the seen, according to the most recent prosecutor in the case.
Andy Bugman of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Juli Ann Brown was sentenced Friday, Sept. 27, to a total of eight years in state prison for four felony counts and sentencing “enhancements” that arose from the Feb. 4, 2012 hit-and-run.
This was Brown’s fifth DUI conviction.
At the time, the Seal Beach Police Department obtained a description of the suspect car and broadcast it. The Huntington Beach Police Department pulled over a vehicle matching that description.
Juli Ann Brown, of Alaska, was convicted of DUI causing injury; failure to stop at an accident with injury; unlawful possession of a controlled substance, causing an injury while driving with a suspended driver’s license. Prosecutors also “enhancements” to the felony charges—aggravating circumstances that added to Brown’s potential sentence: inflicting great bodily harm, inflicting harm on a person 70 or more years old and having four or more prior DUI convictions.
Prosecutor Bugman said Brown had four DUI convictions prior to this one, three of them in Riverside County that resulted in Brown serving very little jail time.
Bugman said that because of the injuries, the crime is considered a violent crime and a strike, meaning Brown will have to serve 85 percent of her sentence before she is eligible for parole.
Brown will also have to pay restitution to the victims for their medical costs and damage done to their property. Brown will return to court on Nov. 8 for a restitution hearing.
Crime Log Compiled by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Tuesday, September 24
Residential Burglary—12:34 p.m.—10th Street—An Old Town resident found an intruder in his bedroom, chased him and called police. Details of the incident were reported in the Thursday, Sept. 26, edition of the Sun Newspaper and may be found online at sunnews.org.
Wednesday, September 25
Disturbance, Noise—4:21 a.m.—Electric and Seal—The caller complained about noise from work being done at the pump station. It turned out a city maintenance project was on-going. The dispatch log said further complaints would be referred to Public Works.
Identity Theft—4:57 p.m.—Dogwood Avenue—Someone used the caller’s information to open a credit account.
Vehicle Burglary—6:44 p.m.—Crestview Avenue—The crime apparently occurred between 6 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 24, and 6 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 25. Point of entry: a smashed window. Loss: a briefcase. Report taken.
Thursday, September 26
Theft Report—10:32 a.m.—Regatta Way—Two bikes were apparently stolen between 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 25, and 7 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 26. The bikes were valued at $1,000. No suspect information. Report taken.
Petty Theft Report—2:31 p.m.—Seal Beach and Landing—Registration tabs were taken from the caller’s car. The caller said he or she (the log did not specify which) said they would flag down a police car. Report taken.
Friday, September 27
Petty Theft—3:30 p.m.—Crestview Avenue—Someone stole a metal bird valued at $50 from the caller’s front yard. Report taken.
Saturday, September 28
Transient—7:20 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—An individual who was apparently described as a transient was reportedly panhandling in front of a business. Police unit 207 apparently advised him to discontinue this activity and he apparently said he would comply.
Sunday, September 29
Grand Theft Report—12:13 p.m.—Main Street and Ocean Avenue—The caller reported the theft of her diamond wedding ring from her child’s stroller. The estimated value of the stolen property was blacked out in the log. Report taken.
IN LEISURE WORLD
Tuesday, September 24
Attempted Burglary—8:16 p.m.—Northwood Road, Mutual Unknown—The caller said someone tried to tamper with the caller’s window screens that day between 2:30 and 6 p.m. The log confirmed that an attempted residential burglary had occurred.
Suspicious Vehicle—8:25 p.m.—Del Monte and St. John, Mutual Unknown—The caller reported a vehicle by itself with the engine running for the past 30 minutes. Leisure World Security turned it off but needed to locate the registered owner. Someone just parked the car there and left it. Police identified the registered owner of the car. Message left. As of 8:48 p.m., Leisure World Security was en route to the registered owner’s address.
Wednesday, September 25
Counseling—8:10 a.m.—Alderwood Lane, Mutual Unknown—The caller reported a possible scam. The caller said a man phoned and asked for money, identifying himself as a family member. The man told the caller that he was en route to her home.
The caller did not give him any money or information, but was concerned that the man could show up at her residence. Counseled.
Identity Theft—3:26 p.m.—Cedar Crest Lane, Mutual 5—The caller received an apparently suspicious bill for $450.
The caller also had someone attempt to open a bank account that was denied approximately one month earlier. Report taken.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, September 23
Shots Heard—6:38 p.m.—Kensington Road—The caller heard five gunshots—three shots followed by a pause and then two more gunshots—that sounded like they were coming from the area of Martha Ann or north of the location. The caller did not want contact with a deputy.
Tuesday, September 24
Vandalism Report—4:09 p.m.—Tigertail Drive.
Wednesday, September 25
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—3:30 a.m.—St. Albans Drive—The caller said a man was suspicious because he looked out of place in the area.
Thursday, September 26
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—5:48 a.m.—Montecito Road and Mainway Drive—A deputy performed a patrol check for a white van that was driving slowly up and down the streets. The van was last seen parked facing northbound on Montecito Road, north of Mainway.
Friday, September 27
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—5:37 a.m.—Yellowtail Drive—The caller requested a patrol check for an individual who was sitting in front of the caller’s location.
The caller said that the individual in question was not known to the area. The caller could not provide a description.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—7:58 a.m.—Wembley Road—The caller found a woman wearing pajamas, screaming for help.
Saturday, September 28
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—6:19 p.m.—Norgrove Lane and Aceca Drive.
Sunday, September 29
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—1:05 a.m.—Tigertail Drive.
