A U.S. District judge overturned convictions for bribery, mail, wire and tax fraud and harboring illegal immigrants, against George Torres, 52, of Arcadia, the former owner of Numero Uno supermarket chain. The judge threw out the more serious convictions for racketeering, conspiracy and solicitation of murder, back in June. Torres has been set free after 2 years in custody.
A federal judge overturned several charges in the case of Arcadia man George Torres, 52, accused of running his Numero Uno grocery store chain in Los Angeles like an organized crime ring. He had been convicted of racketeering charges, solicitation of murder and multiple tax and fraud charges when prosecutors came forward with new evidence that appeared to exonerate him on the more serious charges. Torres was released from federal custody after being held without bail for two years.
Alhambra Superior Court Judge Alice Hill found "sufficient cause" to hold Isaac Campbell, 34, to be tried for the murder of Liya "Jessie" Lu. He will be arraigned May 7.
The preliminary hearing for accused murderer Isaac Campbell has begun in Alhambra. He is charged in the death of Liya "Jessie" Lu, who went missing August 11, 2007. Her body was found more than 1 month later, stuffed in a trash can at a home in Arcadia. The victim's last text message was scrutinized in court. So far, the proceedings have consisted solely of testimony by Lu's coworker and friend George Molina.
George Torres, of Arcadia, was convicted of 55 felony counts, including racketeering, "honest services" mail fraud, and wire fraud, conspiring to harbor illegal immigrants and tax charges. The jury also found that Torres solicited the 1994 murder of a gang member who demanded a "tax" from a Numero Uno Market. George Torres owned eleven Numero Uno grocery stores in some of the region's poorest neighborhoods.
George Schwary's horse Georgie Boy and jockey Garrett Gomez won the $150,000 Grade II San Carlos Handicap at Santa Anita Park. Georgie Boy was trained by Kathy Walsh. Georgie Boy won last month's Sunshine Millions Spring.
George Fasching, shown in a photo, is no longer selling gas at Fasching's Car Wash in Arcadia because he is unwilling to comply with a state mandate, effective April 1, 2009, that requires gas station owners to purchase new equipment to reduce vapor emissions at the pump.
George Fasching, former city council member and owner of Fasching's Car Wash in Arcadia for the last 31 years, may have to stop selling gas at his business due to a state mandate, set to go into effect next April, requiring California gas station owners to purchase between $20,000 and $80,000 in new equipment to further reduce vapor emissions at the pump.