Full Notification

A 59-year female crossing guard was beaten and robbed of her stop sign and whistle in front of twenty school children and adults Monday afternoon in the Florence-Firestone area.

Deputies from Century Sheriff's Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to a call of a "battery (assault) just occurred" at Hooper Avenue and Firestone Boulevard. When they arrived, the deputies were told the victim, who was working as a crossing guard, was assisting schoolchildren cross the street in the crosswalk.

Two suspects drove up to the intersection in a black Ford Expedition at about 2:00PM, and began to turn east on Firestone Boulevard from northbound Hooper Avenue. The crossing guard raised her stop sign higher in the air and told the suspects, "You have to stop, the children come first."

A male driver, Suspect Jose Hernandez, 27, yelled at the crossing guard that he was not stopping. As he continued to yell at the crossing guard, female Suspect Vanessa Del Pilar Martinez, 20, got out of the passenger side of the car and approached the crossing guard. As the crossing guard tried to walk away from Martinez, Martinez began hitting the crossing guard with her fists, knocking her to the ground.

Suspect Hernandez got out of his car, approached the victim, and forcibly took her stop sign. Suspect Martinez then forcibly removed a lanyard holding the victim’s whistle and work identification from around her neck. The suspects got back into their car and drove eastbound on Firestone Boulevard and out of view.

The robbery occurred in the presence of about 20 elementary school children and adults. Several adults provided information to deputies at the scene, including the license plate number of the suspects car.

Deputies from Century Sheriff's Station traced the car to a home in the Florence-Firestone area and were able to locate the two suspects. The suspects were later identified by a witness and the couple was arrested.

The victim’s stop sign was found in the suspects residence.

The suspects were transported to and booked for robbery at the Century Regional Detention Facility, of the Los Angeles County jail system. Their bail was set at $50,000.00 each.

The victim received minor injuries and was able to go home.

"This is very surprising," said Lieutenant Mike Thatcher, Century Sheriff's Station. "We have never seen anything like this before and hope we never do again."

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Press Release
Tues., Nov. 30, 2011, 12:40AM

Lieutenant Michael Thatcher
Century Sheriff's Station
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
11703 S. Alameda St. Lynwood, Ca. 90262
(323) 568-7800
www.lasd.org


Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau - Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
(323) 267-4800
www.lasd.org


Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff



SEE PHOTO OF STOP SIGN: