Tuesday, May 5, 2009

What Now?

We had some excitement in the neighborhood yesterday. Lots of police cars, helicopters, noise. It went on for hours.

The action was on the next block. On my street we hung out with our neighbors in the front yards and wondered what it was all about. When John and I finally wandered over to ask what was going on it was all over, and I took this photo.

The wide shot gives you the neighborhood, the day. The street had been evacuated and the subjects were alone.

A closer look:
The uniformed officer on the left folds his hands in front of him. He seems almost deferential. The detective on the right leans on the cruiser, hand in his pocket, focused on the young man at the center of it all.

This young man, shirtless (easier to search), head hanging--what now?

I can't learn anything from the picture.

26 comments:

Dina said...

The cops captured him and you, Reporter Petrea, captured the action shots! You are brave. And sensitive.
If a SWAT team and fugitive were in my neighborhood, I'd probably barricade myself inside my house until the all clear.

John Sandel said...

This update was filed a few hours ago in the local news: http://snipurl.com/he7kv.

Shell Sherree said...

Nice to see someone finally taking crimes against underwear seriously!

As Dina said, well captured, Petrea.

Katie said...

What great detective work. Harriett the Spy has nothing on you! I agree with Shell, whatever else this guy did, he should be cited for briefs exposure.

Petrea Burchard said...

I'm brave when I'm with John, Dina. I wouldn't have gone alone.

We're used to helicopters because our police use them all the time. But it was a funny feeling to have them hover so near for so long, and we got curious. We trusted them not to let us get too close to danger.

(By the way, if a police officer comes around and you're glad to see him/her, say so and watch their face light up. I don't think they're used to hearing it.)

Thanks, J+P. I linked that up in the body of the post.

Shell, if you and I were teenagers we'd be committing those crimes. Well, maybe not you. As a kid I followed trends, I admit it. I really ought to dig out some old pics.

Petrea Burchard said...

Hi Katie, missed you by seconds. He didn't hurt anyone--not yesterday, anyway. I don't know about last weekend's crime in which he's a suspect. They call it a "strong-arm robbery." Perhaps a lesser crime than an armed robbery.

If people around here were imprisoned for letting their under show (or more), the place would be practically unpopulated. We're awfully close to Hollywood. Yeah, come on down!

T Thompson said...

Be sure to keep your distance in these cases. My blind curiosity once gained me a 9mm up my nose - scary since the cop was undercover and had no badge showing... And that was a good half a block from the "action".

Trish said...

Times like these I think "I'd like a nice, calm life".

Strong-arm robbery is pretty much anything without a real weapon---sometimes with a gang of folks. Think West Side Story. Good description: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/robbery_types.html

The only problem with wandering over is that sometimes you can't back out fast enough. Usually, perimeters are set up well, but as one friend says "Crooks are stupid" and sometimes do things the police didn't plan on having happen.

A good telephoto lens is invaluable in this situation!

Glad everything is ok.

Margaret said...

I'm with shell. Crimes against underwear. Very funny.

Vanda said...

That's a nice looking house behind the action.

You know, the fashion when you have your underwear hanging out on purpose is just stupid.

Petrea Burchard said...

We saw the neighbors out as we approached. Figured the police wouldn't allow that if it wasn't okay. Don't worry. I'm not that daring.

Madonna started the whole underwear thing years ago and it just never stopped.

Vanda said...

One more reason to dislike Madonna - not that you needed another one. I stopped counting when she decided to remake Swept Away.

Trish said...

I have long been a proponent that if you're going to see my underwear, you'd better be sleeping with me, a doctor examining me or a personal shopper at Nordie's trying to figure out what on your shelf will look best on me.

Serious oversharing of underwear...back to the concept that stupidity should be painful---can't he be arrested for this? ;-)

Linda Dove said...

Except that Madonna's undersharing owes a debt to red-light-district culture, and this guy's comes out of prison culture--not because he's currently hand-cuffed, but because he's strutting his beltless self. No belts in prisons.

Now, ask me how I know any of this? Twenty-two-year-old stepson who spent his teen years similarly attired.

Virginia said...

Round up the low riders and haul em in. Make them look at each others backside all day and night. I'm tired of looking at them myself!

marley said...

Thats the fun - trying to work out what happened!

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

Yes, the whole thing becomes strangely different when it is you or your family that is the target of the PPD.

Petrea Burchard said...

Linda, sounds like a story!

Virginia, I'm afraid that's exactly how this guy's going to end up.

This is what I'm wondering, Miss H. Not worried so much about his fashion choices as I am about what happens to him as he enters the system. How serious is his mistake? What drives a person to a mistake such as this? How does he repair his life now is what I want to know.

Ms M said...

Glad no one was hurt. Last month there was a guy with a gun in a standoff with police just 2 blocks from my office. I could look out my window and see the SWAT team. Fortunately, he surrendered peacefully and no one was hurt.

Chapman Woods Specialist and Pasadena Realtor - Blog by Dave Knight said...

This picture made me think of something that happened recently that very few people know about.

There was a guy killed last week near Pasadena City College. He was a homeless guy named James Hall that roamed the streets near my house. He got in a fight with two other guys and one had a knife. After talking to James' niece, I found out that his artery was cut and he lost too much blood to survive. His funeral is this Friday.

His family lives next to me. It's strange that NO ONE I've talked to has heard about this. There are a few articles online, but that is it.

I called one of the numbers in the report but haven't heard back (that was four days ago).

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_12210726

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

Oh, that's terribly sad to hear about a homeless person being killed.

Petrea Burchard said...

Dave, everything about that is sad. My condolences to Mr. Hall's family.

It's easy to take a long view on crime when it's not close to home. When it happens to our neighbors, though, we realize it can happen to us. It's literally close to home.

I don't know if it's coincidence or not, but a lot of crimes have happened to my friends and their friends lately. I wonder if it's because of the world's economic worries and the desperation that breeds. Could be I'm just in a mood to wax philosophical.

Bellis said...

Dave,
Thanks for telling us about the homeless person that got killed near PCC. The Star-News only had a few lines about it, but then I saw that there was a shrine by one of the trees on Hill, with photos and flowers, so people must have cared about him. I'm sad that the newspapers didn't think his death was worth some coverage. Petrea, thanks for reporting this. PDP is almost better than the Star-News!

John Sandel said...

Looks like that uniform has his hands on the prowler's rear door. Little moment before they duck the kid in:

"You sure you don't want to talk to me now? 'Cause we're gonna meet up again downtown, and it won't be just me."

The kid stands there, looking at the vinyl of the carseat. Depressed. What the fuck am I doing here?The uniform's thinking about his own kids …

Irina Netchaev said...

Yikes! never fun to see this type of activity in your neighborhood even if you are behind the camera.

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks Daisy, but I sure don't feel like a reporter! I don't think I could be impartial enough.

J: you see stories, breathe stories. I wanted to watch a little longer, but this seemed like a private moment, didn't it?

True, Irina. I heard more helicopters today not far away and it scared me. Pasadena uses them for everything.