FBI arrests Laguna man

Special agents with the FBI and the IRS-Criminal Division arrested

Laguna Beach resident Richard Allen La Bianco, 33, at his home

Wednesday night.

According to a statement from the United States Attorney of the

Department of Justice, La Bianco was indicted by a federal grand jury

for a scheme that defrauded small business through a company called

Paramount Pacific Funding Group of San Clemente.

The U.S. Attorney’s office alleges that La Bianco’s company caused

more than 200 victims to lose more than $1 million by falsely

promising low-interest equipment lease financing from July 1999 until

August 2001.

If La Bianco is convicted of all 15 counts in the indictment, he

will face a maximum sentence of 190 years in federal prison.

-- Mary A. Castillo

High bacteria signs posted at Main Beach

Orange County Health Care Agency officials posted warning signs

alerting swimmers and surfers of high levels of bacteria in the

waters at Main Beach.

The warnings were posted Friday after water testing revealed that

indicator bacteria for fecal contamination exceeded state standards,

said Monica Mazur, supervising environmental health specialist.

Investigators could not determine if the contamination was from

human, animal or bird waste.

“This was not a closure,” Mazur said. “Rain and run-off kept the

standards in violation for a little longer than usual.”

The warnings were removed Wednesday after follow-up tests showed

normal standards.

-- Mary A. Castillo

Razor blade suspect’s arraignment set

Razor blade suspect Lori Fischer’s second arraignment on charges

of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted child abuse was

continued Monday morning at Orange County Central Court.

The 21-year-old Mission Viejo woman was arrested by Orange County

Sheriff officers on June 4 for allegedly planting razor blades in

children’s playgrounds at 10 parks throughout the county. The first

park she allegedly hit was Main Beach on April 27.

Fischer pleaded not guilty at her first arraignment on June 29.

She will be arraigned a second time on Jan. 17, after which

prosecutors will hold a second pre-trial hearing.

Sgt. Jason Kravetz recalled that Fischer anonymously contacted the

Laguna Beach Police Department at 3:59 a.m. the morning of the first

incident, claiming that friends were going to do something bad.

“Officers went out and didn’t see anything,” he said.

Later that morning a city gardener found the razors and contacted

police.

Fischer established an odd relationship with investigator Richard

White, calling him when she received “tips” about subsequent

incidents.

Working with Orange County Sheriffs, investigators initiated a

24-hour surveillance of Fischer and followed her to Vista del Lago

Park in the early morning hours of June 4.

“The officers had just been in the park to make sure there were no

razors in the playground,” Kravetz said.

However, after Fischer left the park they discovered razor blades

and arrested her.

Fischer has been in custody since her arrest on $500,000 bail. She

will reappear in court on Jan. 17.

-- Mary A. Castillo

Arraignment set for suspect in 1995 killing

Next month will mark the eight-year anniversary of when an armed

robber entered Baskin Robbins on the uncommonly balmy evening of Feb.

20 and ran out, leaving Firooz Roshdieh, 70, seriously wounded and

his wife, Simindokht, 52, dead.

After years of unanswered questions, the Orange County district

attorney will hold a second arraignment of Gilbert Garcia, 30, on

Jan. 17 for charges of murder, attempted murder and possession of a

firearm with a special circumstance of robbery.

In January 1996, after prosecutors reviewed the evidence, they

refused to file charges against the initial suspect, Manuel Ramirez

Rodriguez, 32, of Corona.

Laguna Beach investigators focused on Rodriguez because he fit the

description of the suspect, drove a similar vehicle, was wanted on

felony robbery warrants out of Riverside and fled to Chiloquin,

Oregon, the morning after the murder, Sgt. Jason Kravetz said.

Investigators arrested Rodriguez for violating his parole and

brought him back to Orange County. They enlisted the expertise of

anthropologists to use forensic evidence and measurements of

Rodriguez’s arm to build their case, Kravetz said.

“There was not enough evidence,” he said. “All we had was a

circumstantial case.”

Rodriguez was sent to Riverside, where he pleaded guilty to the

unrelated charges against him.

New investigators began looking at gang members with similar neck

tattoos as the ones described by Firooz Roshdieh, who fought with the

suspect that night.

They were eventually led to Garcia, who led the Seaside Longos

gang in Long Beach and had the same neck tattoo, Kravetz said.

Investigators issued a warrant on Dec. 5, 2001, and arrived at

Pelican Bay State Prison, where Garcia had been transferred to serve

a sentence for car jacking in Long Beach.

Kravetz expects that the trial will begin in the spring.

-- Mary A. Castillo

School construction projects on schedule

A vacation break and a mild winter allowed construction crews to

stay on schedule at Laguna’s four schools.

“We are coming to a close on El Morro,” said Carl Neuhausen,

construction project administrator for the district. “We’re pretty

much on course with plans.”

Crews are drawing the landscaping to a close and hooking up the

new sewer system. Neuhausen plans to make further improvements to the

parking lot.

The athletic field will be ready for spring athletic practices by

Feb. 1, Neuhausen said.

Across town and up the hill, Thurston Middle and Top of the World

Elementary schools are seeing work on new buildings.

The foundations for Thurston’s new gym and performing arts

building are in the works. Crews are also working on new classroom

buildings and kindergarten extension at Top of the World.

Neuhausen plans to begin improvements on both school’s athletic

fields, asphalt play courts and parking lots during the summer.

Projects at Top of the World are budgeted at $7,683,290, and at

Thurston, also $7,683,290.

The construction of the new drama and math classrooms and the

girls’ varsity locker facility at Laguna Beach High School began last

month.

At the board of education’s next meeting, Neuhausen will present a

list of prospective projects that are eligible for Proposition 47

funds.

“There will be another $3 million available for projects at the

high school, and we will review the list of projects with the board

for their approval,” he said.

The board of education will meet at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 in the board

room at the District Educational Center, 550 Blumont St.

-- Mary A. Castillo