The following is an update on Sun Region felony cases as they proceed through the Orange County Superior Court.
The update includes only cases in which defendants have been formally charged and have entered a plea. The cases are listed below in order according to the next court date.
nursing home homicide
Roy Charles Laird, of Seal Beach, has been charged with one count of murder and with one enhancement of personally discharging a firearm, resulting in the 2010 death of his then 86-year-old wife. Laird was 88 at the time of his arrest.
The “enhancement” means Laird could be sentenced to 50 years to life, meaning the 88-year-old man would have to wait 50 years to be eligible for parole. The shooting occurred on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010 in the victim’s apartment in the Country Villa Healthcare Center just outside of Leisure World.
The DA’s Office reported that the victim was in late-stage dementia. According to press reports, Laird was released and placed in a nursing home.
According to the Orange County Superior Court Web site occourts.org, Laird is out on a conditional release. No bail has been posted.
The latest: A pre-trial hearing is schedudled for Friday, June 13. No trial date has been set yet.
Los Alamitos JFTB killing
The DA’s Office has charged Daniel Patrick Wozniak with murdering and dismembering a man at the Joint Forces Training Base in 2010 and then murdering a woman in the first victim’s Costa Mesa apartment. For a brief time, Costa Mesa Police considered the first victim a suspect in the second killing. It wasn’t until the following week that they learned their murder suspect was in fact a murder victim. The charges include “special circumstances” that make the accused eligible for the death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Wozniak remains in custody.
The latest: The jury trial is scheduled to continue on Friday, June 27.
Salon Meritage shootings
Scott Evans Dekraai has pleaded guilty to eight counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in the Oct. 12, 2011 Seal Beach shootings at the Salon Meritage beauty shop in Seal Beach.
The trial will now move to the penalty phase.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty.
The Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Dekraai, is seeking life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The jury will recommend the penalty.
Dekraai remains in custody.
The latest: The penalty phase of the trial is scheduled to start on Monday, Aug. 18.
Crime Log Compiled by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Monday, May 19
Coyote Sighting—7:26 a.m.—Fifth Street and Pacific Coast Highway—The caller, relaying second hand information, reported the sighting of a coyote in the area 5 minutes earlier. Message delivered to Long Beach Animal Care Services.
911 Hang-up—10:22 a.m.—Central Avnue—It turned out the caller was testing her telephone line.
Counseling—11:40 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—A citizen received a call from someone claiming to represent Southern California Edison. The alleged representative said the citizen’s automatic payment had not gone through and that he would need to transfer $2,400 electronically. The citizen did so. Report taken.
For more information, see the sidebar on this page.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, May 19
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—8:22 a.m.—Bostonian Drive—A deputy performed a patrol check for a vehicle that the caller said was loaded with junk. The caller was unsure if someone was in the vehicle and was concerned due to his home being burglarized recently.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—5:24 p.m.—Ruth Elaine Drive and Wallingsford Road—The West Cities Police Communications Center, the regional 911 dispatch service, relaying second hand information, said a truck was cutting off other vehicles, then parked near the location with a flat tire and flashers on.
Tuesday, May 20
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—7:43 a.m.—Shakespeare Drive—The caller said a passenger of a vehicle was hanging out the window, filming. The vehicle was occupied by three individuals in all.
Disturbance—3:10 p.m.—Los Alamitos Boulevard—The caller said two individuals who might possiblly have been under the influence of drugs were trying to sell sunglasses to gas station customers. A woman was inside the car. The man’s face was possibly bleeding. The man was arrested as a result of this call.
Prowler—6:32 p.m.—Foster Road—The caller, relaying second hand information from his wife, said that someone kicked in his side yard’s gate 10 minutes earlier. The large dog in the back yard apparently scared the prowler away. The suspect was not seen, so no description was available.
Burglary Report—7:59 p.m.—Foster Road—The resident came home 10 minutes earlier and found all the cabinets and drawers were open. The resident requested a deputy walk through her home.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—7:57 p.m.—Tucker Lane—The caller reported a car in front of a house and requested a walk-through.
Wednesday, May 21
Burglary in Progress—4:27 a.m.—Argyle Drive—The caller said that the alarm of the car in the driveway just went off.
The caller said a neighbor had recently attempted to burglarize the car around the same time a couple of days earlier.
The caller had not seen anything, being too scared to look.
Thursday, May 22
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—8:14 a.m.—Woodstock Road—A deputy performed a patrol check for an occupied vehicle that had been parked in the area for 10 minutes when a citizen called to report it.
Saturday, May 24
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—4:01 p.m.—Los Alamitos Boulevard.
Disturbance, Music or Party—11:05 p.m.—Tucker Lane and Foster Road.
Sunday, May 25
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—1:03 a.m.—Kensington Road.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—9:41 a.m.—Loch Lomond Road.
