Category Archives: Legal Publications

February 20, 2012-According to reports a man standing on the tracks was struck and killed by a Metrolink train.  According to Orange County Police Sgt. Dan Adams a Metrolink train traveling southbound struck and fatally injured a man standing on the tracks at approximately 6:40 a.m. at the intersection of Batavia Street and Collins Avenue in Orange.

Sgt. Adams said the conductor saw the man standing on the tracks north of Collins Avenue and could not stop in time. According to the conductor the man did not attempt to move off of the tracks upon seeing the train, leading Orange County Police officials to believe the man may have committed suicide.  Sgt. Adams said that the 805 Metrolink train on the Empire-Orange County line was the train involved in the fatal accident and was terminated according to Metrolink officials. There were 108 passengers onboard the train at the time of the accident and no injuries were reported.

The man that was struck by the 805 Metrolink southbound train was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to Orange County Police Sgt. Adams. According to Orange County Transportation Authority buses were dispatched to pick up the passengers that were onboard the Metrolink train.

February 16, 2012 – According to reports a police chase of an SUV containing a woman that was believed to be kidnapped ended in a fatal crash, killing the woman.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department police received reports that a woman was grabbed off of the sidewalk at approximately 8:00 a.m. in the vicinity of 6th Street and Bexel Street.  The vehicle was identified to the LAPD as a black GMC Yukon that was spotted by officers after the reported kidnapping.
According to Los Angeles Police Department Cmdr. Andrew Smith, the woman that had been kidnapped was seen by officers hanging out of the window at times and waving to the officers.

The police chase was approximately a mile, before the driver of the Yukon crashed head-on with a Volvo. The LAPD said that the suspect then took off on foot after the crash and was taken into custody a short time later.
The woman that had been allegedly kidnapped was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Cmdr. Smith said that the driver of the Volvo that was involved in the head-on crash suffered minor injuries in the collision.  According to the LAPD the relationship between the woman that was kidnapped and the suspect has not been determined at this time.

February 8, 2012 – According to reports 200 more photos have been found in the sexual abuse bondage case.  According to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dan Scott, investigators have found 200 more bondage photos in the computer at the Redondo Beach CVS store, where the first 40 photos were turned into authorities by an employee.

The new photos that have been recovered, allegedly taken by former Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berdt, show approximately 25 victims that have not been identified.

One of the students involved in the sexual abuse case is identified as a ten year old female, who was not in Berndt’s class, but was borrowed from another classroom. According to the young girl Berndt would contact the girl’s teacher and ask to borrow a group of students and the teacher would deliver the students to his classroom.

Berndt, according to the girl would give them cookies, that she believed were for being helpful and as a reward. Police investigators have since discovered the cookies were covered with Berndt’s semen. The girl stated that she received a cookie almost every day.

According to attorney Brian Claypool, who represents six of the alleged victims, including the 10 year old female student, gave the name of the female teacher to authorities.  According to Sgt. Scott the female teacher has been interviewed and is not a suspect, police do not believe she had any involvement. He went on to say he cannot tell what will happen in the future.