Compton man charged with burning death of South LA teen
Also charged with 2007 rape
COMPTON, Calif.—A 35-year-old man was charged today with murdering a 17-year-old girl whose burning body was found in a South Los Angeles street, and with assaulting and raping a woman in 2007.
Damond Williams was arrested Thursday in connection with the Sept. 17 death of the teen, whose body was found on Grand Avenue just north of 94th Street, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The victim is listed as Terry W. in the complaint. Coroner’s officials could not immediately provide her full name, nor could the D.A.’s office.
Williams was also charged today with the 2007 assault and rape of a woman identified only as Patricia B.
He is facing one count each of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, forcible rape, sodomy by force and forcible oral copulation.
If convicted on all counts, Williams faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
His arraignment was expected sometime this afternoon in Compton SuperiorCourt. Prosecutors planned to ask that bail be set at $1.33 million.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Los Angeles County probation officers asked for help today in finding a parolee who threatened to kill school children.
Frank Edward Edmonds, 40, who authorities consider “extremely violent and an imminent public threat,” may be in Compton, South Los Angeles or Inglewood, his last known address.
COMPTON, Calif. — A man was ordered today to stand trial on a murder charge stemming from the death of a 17-year-old girl whose burning body was found last September on a South Los Angeles street.
Damond Williams, 36, is charged in the Sept. 17, 2012, slaying of Terrey Wright, whose body was discovered on Grand Avenue just north of 94th Street.
The girl died of multiple traumatic injuries, according to testimony presented at Williams’ preliminary hearing in Compton Superior Court.
COMPTON, Calif. — Former Compton Fire Department Deputy Chief Marcel Melanson is scheduled to be arraigned Friday on grand theft and arson charges related to a fire at the department’s headquarters.
Melanson is suspected of stealing thousands of dollars worth of Motorola radios, selling them online and intentionally setting the Dec. 11, 2011 fire to destroy evidence of the thefts, Steve Whitmore of the sheriff’s department said.
The Crenshaw Subway Coalition is gearing up for a possible showdown over additional funding for the Crenshaw-to-LAX light rail line, including a Leimert Park Village Station, but may have to await a May 23 decision by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board on just how bruising—or necessary—a showdown will be.
COMPTON, Calif. — Authorities arrested a man who allegedly tried today to kidnap a woman in Carson and then led deputies on a chase to the Athens Village area, where his car crashed into an SUV at an intersection and burst into flames.
Lawrence Dickerson, 36, was arrested following the crash, which occurred near Avalon Boulevard and 135th Street about 6:30 a.m., according to the sheriff’s department.
