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City
Aims to Shut Down Auto Shop Where Murder Took Place
Public hearing
on revocation of business license postponed to Sept. 16
By
Allison Jean Eaton
Bulletin Staff Writer
COMPTON – Roughly
six months after one person was killed and seven others wounded when
gang members crashed a late night rave-style party at a local auto
body shop and opened fire, the city is aggressively trying to shut
down the business by revoking its business license.
The city has the right to revoke the business license because illegal
activities – murder and attempted murder – took place on
the property, said Deputy City Atty. Edward Chavez.
The City Council last week opened a public hearing on the matter, however
it was continued to Sept. 16 because those representing the defendant
business owner are Spanish speakers and did not understand what was
being said during the beginning of the hearing.
According to Chavez, the defendant, Daniel Espino, was properly notified
of the hearing. He said the city is not legally obligated to provide
a defendant with an interpreter or translated information relative
to such proceedings. The burden lies with a defendant to find translation
on his or her own.
“They’re going to have to figure out for themselves how
to get these (hearing) documents translated,” Chavez said.
To err on the side of caution and fairness, Mayor Eric J. Perrodin
pushed to postpone the hearing so that Espino’s mother, Eva Espino,
and his girlfriend, who were at the Council Chambers on his behalf,
would have time to translate the related legal documents in order to
properly prepare a defense.
“This incident happened in January. It’s now July. I don’t
think allowing you to have another month and a half to get prepared
for the hearing is something we can’t do as a city,” Perrodin
said to the women, who both appeared confused relative to the proceedings.
Perrodin also informed them that they have the right to obtain legal
counsel and to bring witnesses to testify on Espino’s behalf
on Sept. 16.
“The city could continue the hearing tonight, and we would be
justified, but we want to be fair,” Perrodin said.
LZR Complete Auto Repair at 223 N. Bullis Rd. is owned and operated
by Espino, who, according to a Sheriff’s Department homicide
detective, rented out the property for the Jan. 19 dance party.
The party was advertised with fliers, one of which made its way onto
the popular social networking Website Myspace.com, said Sgt. Phil Guzman.
At about 12:15 a.m., at least three known gang members who had just
shown up to the party began firing a semi-automatic handgun into the
crowd of roughly 200. Eight young Latino men between the ages of 15
and 24 were hit.
The victims were rushed to three area hospitals, where 19-year-old
Miguel Juarez of Bell died later that day from his injuries.
A disc jockey playing the party, Arley Aguiar of Lynwood, said attendees
were dancing inside a barbed wire fence surrounding the property when
he saw a man walk in, climb onto a car and start shooting into the
sea of dancers.
Aguiar, 19, immediately turned off the music and ducked behind his
audio equipment as people tried to flee, some dragging with them those
who’d been shot, he said.
No suspects have been arrested.
Before the July 15 hearing was continued, Espino’s mother said
through an interpreter that she and Espino’s girlfriend were
aware that a shooting had taken place, but were under the impression
that it had happened on the street in front of the shop.
According to state law, the city has the burden of proof to demonstrate
that the violations that occurred at LZR Auto were detrimental to the
health, safety and general welfare of the public, Chavez said.
To that end, testimony will be given by a host of first-responders
on the scene in the early morning hours of Jan. 20, including members
of the fire and Municipal Law Enforcement Services departments as well
as Sheriff’s deputies.
“The evidence will show that based on a single but severe violation…several
members of the pubic lost their lives or were seriously wounded,” Chavez
said.
The business has been open since 2002.
Once and if the license is revoked, Chavez said the city’s business
licensing department will step in and handle the rest.
The city most recently revoked the business license of a gun shop and
firing range, Boulevard Sales & Service, on Long Beach Boulevard
after an illegal gun-running operation headquartered there was in 2007
shut down by federal and local law enforcement officials following
a months-long investigation.
Chavez said the city was not forced to shut down that business, which
for years funneled firearms into the hands of convicted felons and
gang members, because the owner’s lawyer negotiated with the
city and agreed to close the store.
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