Panorama City

Police say they moved closer Tuesday to catching a man they suspect of killing a Panorama City man after they arrested the suspect's girlfriend, who had been on the lam with her boyfriend for nearly a week. Sheila Lewis, 20, gave herself up to Los Angeles police Monday after her parents persuaded her to turn herself in, Detective Stephen Fisk said. Lewis is charged with being an accessory to the murder of Benito Ozaeta, 23, who was shot on a Panorama City street Nov. 30.

Sean Henson's left arm felt sore and he didn't think he could pitch more than two innings Wednesday. But the senior from Monroe High persisted for three innings of relief in Panorama City's 5-4 win over previously unbeaten Sun Valley in an American Legion District 20 game at Poly High.

Police on Thursday said they believe an elderly couple, whose decaying corpses were found in their Panorama City home by investigators, died of natural causes. The bodies of Margaret Jacobson, 80, and her husband, Virgil, 79, were discovered when officers entered their Ranchito Avenue home after neighbors called police, saying they had not seen the couple in months.

Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City) ripped President Bush's failure to provide more foreign aid to the former Soviet Union this week as "nothing less than criminal neglect of the United States' foreign policy and national security objectives." Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on international operations, said on the House floor that U. S.

The Panorama City West Neighborhood Assn. is holding a neighborhood march and rally tonight to help fight crime in the neighborhood. The event, part of "America's Night Out Against Crime," begins at 7 p.m. in the parking lot behind Montgomery Ward on Roscoe Boulevard. The organizers will hand out balloons and lead a candlelight march through the neighborhood, then return to the parking lot at about 7:45 p.m.

Four businesses in a Panorama City shopping strip were damaged Sunday by a fire that was apparently set during a robbery attempt, Los Angeles City Fire Department officials said. The blaze was reported about 6:45 p.m. in the 13500 block of Roscoe Boulevard, Fire Department spokesman Phil Weireter said. Firefighters arrived to find a comic-book store well-involved but knocked down the blaze in about 15 minutes. No injuries were reported.

John Wilson (1-0) pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10, leading Panorama City to a 2-0 victory over Valencia in an American Legion District 20 game Tuesday at Valencia High. In other District 20 games: Agoura Oaks 10, Studio City 9--Backup catcher Evan Belfi had two hits, including a double, and three runs batted in for Agoura Oaks (2-2) at Oak Park High. Newhall-Saugus 10, Valley North 6--Chris Coash had a three-run home run in the third inning to break a 2-2 tie for Newhall-Saugus (2-0).

A Panorama City welfare office destroyed by arson two months ago is expected to be repaired and ready for occupancy by the end of the year, after Los Angeles County supervisors on Tuesday approved spending $2 million to begin construction. The Public Social Services Department office on Lanark Street, the county's busiest welfare office, was torched early April 13, forcing nearly 40,000 San Fernando Valley residents to turn to other facilities for assistance.

A 36-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for preparing four false federal income tax returns that included $108,000 in phony deductions. Danny Charles Gray of Panorama City, who had pleaded guilty in the case, was paid $1,810 for preparing the false returns. Assistant U.S. Atty. Joy Krystofiak said he charged customers about 10% of their refunds. "He holds himself out during tax season as a tax preparer," she said. "He tells people that at one time he was an IRS agent."

Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon and Panorama City residents on Friday celebrated the installation of a new traffic signal at Van Nuys Boulevard and Tupper Street. The busy intersection was the scene of at least five traffic accidents in 1995, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, and has been on the city Department of Transportation's priority list for needed traffic signals, according to staff from Alarcon's office.