Robberies

Former Compton Dominguez High basketball coach Russell Otis paid thousands of dollars in cash to cover his team's expenses to travel and play in tournaments, witnesses testified during a hearing Thursday. The testimony came during the third day of a preliminary hearing for the highly successful former coach, who is accused of stealing $15,000 intended for his team and of the attempted molestation of a player, now 17.

This holiday season has seen an explosion in thefts of expensive, platinum-laced catalytic converters from parked cars, and authorities report that high-clearance sport utility vehicles are the targets of choice for thieves. With a common socket wrench and 90 seconds, they leave drivers stuck with cars that sound like Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and facing repair bills topping $1,000. "It's an epidemic. It's everywhere," said Lt. Bob Turnbull of the El Segundo Police Department.

Sitting handcuffed at the witness stand, a former state corrections officer on Friday pointed his finger -- both figuratively and literally -- at a disgraced Los Angeles police officer accused of participating in a series of home-invasion-style robberies staged to look like legitimate police raids.

Testifying with the confidence and poise of the expert witness he once was, disgraced Los Angeles police Officer Ruben Palomares told a federal court jury Tuesday how he went from being an idealistic young officer who wanted to be a role model for troubled kids to a cynical and corrupt cop at the center of a home-invasion robbery ring. Dressed in a green prison jumpsuit, Palomares faced the jury, often arching his eyebrows or gesturing as best he could in handcuffs to help make his points.

A group of teenagers, led by a 17-year-old Queens girl, has been arrested on charges stemming from posting online ads for cheap Porsches in order to rob cash-carrying buyers, Long Island police said this week. The group's ringleader was high schooler Agniesika Banach, who placed at least three fake ads on Craigslist selling late-model Porsches, said Det. Lt. Karl Schoepp. One of the fake ads promised a 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo for a negotiable $50,000.

Two brothers who worked as police officers were convicted Wednesday of participating in home invasion-style robberies staged to look like legitimate law enforcement raids, prompting the judge to say that the case underscored the need for aggressive outside oversight of the Los Angeles Police Department. "I've never heard testimony like I've heard in this case," said U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess, who has practiced law since 1974 and was appointed to the federal bench 12 years ago.

Computer equipment containing the private financial data of every employee of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was stolen earlier this week, prompting the utility to pay for a credit monitoring service for each of its 8,275 workers. DWP General Manager H.

A suspected robber discovered Thursday that karma can arrive on the front bumper of a Chevy pickup. According to police, one of two men suspected of robbing a motorist in Anaheim was accidentally run over by the victim as the suspect tried to elude police. "It was bad timing on the suspect's part," said Anaheim Police Sgt. Rick Martinez.

Two San Bernardino teenagers were charged with murder Tuesday in the death of an 87-year-old woman who was beaten into a coma with hammers while her mobile home was being robbed. Investigators say Cesar Pulido and Mike Garcia, both 16, crawled through Storma Del' Andrae's window Feb. 11 and used hammers to pummel her in the head. Del' Andrae was left bloody and unconscious while the suspects stuffed a suitcase with jewelry and other valuables, officials said.

Maurice Simmons, a Compton Dominguez High linebacker who signed a letter of intent with USC, was arrested this week on suspicion of robbery. Bail was set at $50,000 for the 18-year-old, Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said Thursday. Lamont Hall, 19, also was arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with the alleged incident Wednesday, and his bail was set at $50,000, sheriffs' officials said.