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A 25-year-old Canyon Country woman arrested on a murder charge allegedly has a history of mental illness, according to a homicide investigator Monday.

This Year’s Signs The Apocalypse Might Be Upon The SCV

In the KHTS newsroom, there’s often little time to reflect on the “what were they thinking” aspect of crime stories, which is often a futile exercise anyway — some shoes don’t merit a mile’s worth of walking before moving on with something else.


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In that vein, the newsroom compiled a list of the most forehead-slapping-est, head-scratching-est, finger-wagging-worthy crime stories in 2014.

In the eyes of the court, suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty, and the following list is no exception.

Some have pleaded, some have been charged, but all of the following information was taken from officials’ accounts, Sheriff’s Station reports and public record documents.

10. Santa Clarita Deputies ID Selfie Takers; Burglary Still Under Investigation

The No. 10 spot for the crime story list doesn’t involve two suspects. While their pictures were put out in the media, they didn’t end up getting charged.

Whether they were in the wrong place at the wrong time or committed the perfect crime with a selfie to prove it, officials might never know for sure.

What is known is that a Newhall woman’s phone and other valuables were stolen.

Then, the victim noticed pictures on her iCloud account of a man and a woman she didn’t recognize.

Deputies sought the pair for questioning, and they cooperated.

A relative of the man sought for questioning told deputies she paid $80 for two iPhones — which are worth several hundred dollars a piece — at a swap meet. The relative said one was a gift to her nephew — the man in the photos, according to officials.

Officials have yet to make an arrest in the case.

9. Suspect Arrested In Stolen Car After Alleged Gym Theft

The following story involved a theft suspect who has not yet been convicted, but the evidence is stacked against him.

Dylan Altman, 20, of Santa Clarita, was arrested in a car reported stolen from a Santa Clarita Valley gym.

The victim reportedly went to get something from his bag around 11 a.m. and noticed his keys were gone, as well as his car.

Altman allegedly saw the bag, took the victim’s keys and then drove the car to North Hollywood, officials said. He was found asleep in the car by LAPD officers the morning after the car was reported stolen.

8. Attorney Pleads No Contest In Castaic Jail Drug Smuggling

Stephen Beecher, 63, of Sherman Oaks, reportedly smuggled $30,000 worth of heroin inside a greeting card he delivered to one his clients, who was staying at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic back in 2012.

Beecher pleaded no contest to smuggling  “ironed and flattened” packages of heroin to be delivered to her boyfriend, Jesus Antonio Duenas, 21, in December.

Beecher is expected to receive two years in custody in exchange for Wednesday’s no contest plea to one felony count of bringing drugs into jail. Duenas is in jail while he awaits sentencing for an attempted murder conviction in a separate case.

7. Men Accused In Paul Walker Porsche Theft Plead No Contest

Here’s a tip in case the two criminals in the following story are contemplating a future heist: Don’t post pictures of your stolen items on social media, complete with details about the crime, and the hashtag “#comeup.”

In August, Anthony Edward Janow, 26, of Phoenix, pleaded no contest to a felony count of grand theft and a misdemeanor count of destroying evidence and another for obstructing an officer. His co-defendant, Jameson Brooks Witty, 18, of Tujunga, pleaded to three misdemeanor counts: grand theft of personal property, destroying evidence and obstructing a police officer.

Their crimes? The pair stole parts from a Porsche that was being towed from the scene of a fatal crash that killed Paul Walker and Roger Rodas last November.

The post on Instagram account JamesonWitty accompanying a picture of the roof of the Porsche? “Piece of Paul walkers [sic] car, took it off a tow truck at a stop light #paulwalker #rip #comeup.”

6. Santa Clarita Teen Gets 45 Days, Serves 3 For Theft Charges

Sometimes, when you fight the law, the law wins.

Joseph Munoz, 19, of Canyon Country, was accused of going into the Walmart on Carl Boyer Drive with the intent to steal. Munoz was cited and released shortly after the theft, according to Sheriff’s Department officials, who caught Munoz with about $100 worth of candy, and $133 worth of men’s socks and underwear.

Instead of pleading out to a small misdemeanor charge, he demanded his constitutionally guaranteed right to a trial in front of a jury of his peers.

After a fairly brief trial, he was found guilty on two counts — petty theft and second degree commercial burglary.

He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, ordered to complete 10 days of Caltrans labor, pay a $150 penalty and a public defender fee of $1,250. He was also given three years of summary probation, during which he is ordered to stay away from Walmart.

5. Woman Pleads To Child Endangerment After Child Left In Car

A Frazier Park woman pleaded no contest Tuesday to a misdemeanor child endangerment charge after a Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputy found a child left in a Honda Civic outside Target on Magic Mountain Parkway.

Maurianne Alyce Clark, 27, received a sentence of three days in jail, 15 days of community labor not involving children, a 52-week parenting class and three years of informal probation.

When the deputies arrived on scene, they found the doors unlocked and the engine running, according toSanta Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station reports.

They checked on the status of the 9 month old baby girl, who was sleeping, while another deputy on scene asked the store’s management to put out a notification regarding the vehicle in hopes the owner would come outside.

Inside the car, a deputy found a cellphone, which, he later determined through the course of his investigation, was engaged in an active call and being used as a baby monitor.

4. Deputies Arrest Alleged Jack In The Box Bandit After Taco Theft

This Santa Clarita Valley man might have been the inspiration for the famous San Diego-based fast food chain’s late-night “Munchies” discount box meal.

Joseph Taylor, 24, of Santa Clarita, initially pleaded not guilty in April after he was arrested at 3:30 a.m. April 14 outside of the Jack in the Box at the 18500 block of Via Princessa, near Jason Drive, in Canyon Country.

Deputies arrived on scene to a reported burglary and, after a short foot pursuit, detained Taylor, who claimed he was a sovereign citizen.

Deputies investigated the scene and reported several oddities, since this particular location had been closed for several hours.

The restaurant’s surveillance equipment was damaged. Deputies reported the drive-thru window had been smashed by a large rock, the fryer was turned on at the restaurant— and six tacos were being cooked.

When deputies searched the contents of the bag Taylor threw away, they found chocolate cakes, Southwestern chicken salads, cheesecakes and waffles

He’s due back in court in January for several charges, including some unrelated cases.

3. Santa Clarita Woman Charged With DUI After Alleged Taxi Cab Theft

A Santa Clarita woman was booked on a driving under the influence charge in May after allegedly stealing a taxi from a driver who was trying to help her out, according to a Sheriff’s Station report.

Jaclyn Kemsley, 27, of Canyon Country, reportedly called a cab to Lucille’s, and about a mile into her ride she asked her driver if he would help her move her car in the Westfield Valencia Town Center mall parking lot.

There was an ignition-interlock device on her car, Kemsley said, according to the Sheriff’s Station report, and so she asked the cabbie if he could move the vehicle so it didn’t get towed.

The cab driver agreed, so after locating Kemsley’s car, the driver went to move it, and when he returned to where he left his cab with Kemsley in the back seat, he noticed the car was gone and called the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the report stated.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies found Kemsley in the cab, behind the wheel, with the keys in the ignition, at the top of the mall’s parking lot, officials said.

After issuing a field sobriety test, the deputy arrested Kemsley on a driving under the influence charge. The cab driver declined to press charges for the stolen cab.

2. Deputies Seek Purse-Snatching Suspect Who Left Wallet Behind

Some robbery suspects have signature moves that ultimately lead to their undoing, while some, apparently just leave their signature.

Ismael Soto is being charged with robbery and being held in lieu of $100,000 bail after he was accused of stealing a woman’s purse and fleeing the scene.

The only problem is, Soto’s wallet, replete with identificiation, was found at the scene of the crime.

As the victim chased after the suspect in an attempt to get her purse back, the victim and a witness observed a wallet allegedly containing the suspect’s identification fall from the suspect’s pants pocket as he was running away from the area.

D’oh.

1. Santa Clarita Teen Accused Of Smoking Weed In Front Of Sheriff’s Station

The last two choices drew fierce debate in the KHTS newsroom for the top spot — however dubious an honor it might be.

However, the citation given in the No. 1 story might be a result of the shortest investigation in the history of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s Detective Bureau.

A detective returning from court testimony to his office in the unmarked building that houses the Detective Bureau — which is across the street from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station — walked past two teenagers who were next to a glass wall by the entrance.

One of the teenagers pulled out a marijuana pipe and was about to smoke when the 17-year-old boy was confronted by a plainclothes detective, said Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Deputy Josh Dubin.

“A detective with our Detective Bureau observed the two teenagers sitting down in front of our office on Citrus Street and proceed to pull out a marijuana pipe and they were about to begin smoking,” Dubin said. “Detectives from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station immediately confronted the teens.”

One of the teens had a pipe in his hands so he was cited for marijuana possession, which is an infraction. The other teenager was not cited.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

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This Year’s Signs The Apocalypse Might Be Upon The SCV

One comment

  1. Great story about Stephen Beecher smuggling drugs into the Castaic Facility, but will the State Bar finally do something about this guy? Have you seen his bar record? The man has victims everywhere, yet the bar continues to ignore it.

    The man needs to lose his law license permanently.

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.