Many think Mexico is a safe haven for fleeing felons. It’s not. Mostly because San Diego Police detectives like D.,F.and J.work Mexico like it was their own backyard. They arrested a murderer last week, making it 7 in the past few months.
This guy was at a party with his wife when another man disrespected her. I’m sure the alcohol pulsating through his veins didn’t help to control his anger. He warned him once and the drunken man would not stop. They took it outside to settle the dispute and the aggressor lost. He suffered a fatal knife wound to the neck and bled out before medical help could arrive. A warrant of arrest was issued for the husband. He fled to Mexico.
Astute detectives noticed the wife was crossing the international border weekly. A game plan was developed that homicide and CIU detectives executed it to perfection. A tracker was placed on the wife’s SUV while she was in the store. From the comfort of a warm office and in front of a computer, detectives watched as she drove south to Rosario Beach, Baja California, Mexico. Known for its grilled Lobster and pinto beans, millions of tourists pass through this port city. Only she stayed. She stayed for the weekend. The satellite photo’s showed a three block area where she made several stops. D, F and J headed south to visually verify the location. Covertly pulling into the neighborhood of beachside homes, the trio drove talking on a car to car tactical frequency. It didn’t take long. They spotted the car pulled into a car port. D alerted the Mexican counterparts who quietly flooded the area. PEP a tactical team of Mexican police officers stood by ready to roll in when given the assault signal. PEP are the guys you see riding in the back of trucks with their faces covered, blue uniforms and toting automatic weapons. They are not to be taken lightly. D met up with undercover Mexican police officers and briefed them. The suspect is a US citizen with no claims of Mexican sovereignty. He can be walked to the border and shoved into the USA.
The Mexican police set up on the house and observed the family get into the SUV and drive 6 blocks south to a Christian church. The family went inside. Two undercover detectives went in also. Was the surveillance burned? Was the suspect going to walk into the church and out the back door to freedom? Was he going to seek forgiveness?
When they eventually got inside they observed a Christmas play. The actors performed a scene from the birth of Jesus. Live and on stage were three wise men, one, kneeling in front of the baby Jesus. His head was bowed and tears flowed as he felt shame of the sins that Christ came to forgive. Could this Christ, the chosen one, the Jewish Messiah truly forgive all sin? He hopped so, because just a year earlier he murdered a man in San Diego. Now he performed in a play for his kids saying lines that came to life. When they saw the star point out the child they were overjoyed. But it was just a baby. Some how these wise men from Iraq realized he would be their forgiveness.
The heavy soul Magi walked off of the stage and got into the SUV with a tear stained face. As they pulled out of the church he felt the forgiveness of God but now had to face the American justice system. Mexican authorities stopped and arrested him. He was taken to the border where Detective Sergeant D and team took him into custody. While hiding from justice, this murderer came face to face with the law of God. He sought help at this little church in Rosarito. He realized that he, like all of us, need forgiveness. He poured his heart out to god, and confessed his sins to the Savior. He found forgiveness and was absolved of guilt, even murder. He grew as a Christian but kept this awful secret burried deep inside. As he made plans to turn himself in, Dave and team tracked him down making it a lot easier.
Take a little time this holiday season to bow down before Jesus. Each of us have issues that only God can resolve. Big sins...little ones, He is ready, willing and able to forgive them all. All we have to do is ask. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and life, no man come to the Father but through me.” Jesus came not to condemn humanity but bring it relief and forgiveness. Too bad the murderer did not choose to accept this plan of salvation a year earlier.
Merry Christmas.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Verify the Information
It was the first class of the day at a local college. It’s a school for nurses, bus drivers and dental hygienists. Most of the students arrive via city bus. Harvard its not but perfect for those who want jobs. Antonio was no different. Seeking to better himself and get out of the ghetto he grew up in, his court order probation suggested he attend college. This is the new tact after the military banded felons from handling firearms. Antonio walked into the classroom and greeted several of his fellow students. He is an affable guy, friendly to most, deadly to a few.
He opened his backpack to pull out a pen for note taking. A benign task except when you have a loaded 9mm handgun stashed in the zipper compartment where the pen was located. The gun was fully loaded with 16, 175 grain, semi jacketed hollow point rounds. They are the kind that tear threw the flesh leaving gaping holes that can cause death. Many a gangster rappers talk about grabbing their “9”. Antonio is a gangster. The girl behind him saw the butt of the gun and secretly called 911. Two patrol officers responded and took Antonio out of the class. He went to jail without trouble, until he got to the holding tank.
“I know people who are cartel living in SD. I can give them to you.” That kind of information is useful. Two CIU detectives sat down with Tony after getting the facts about his current charges. Tony is a foot soldier for a local drug trafficking organization (DTO) with ties to the Tijuana cartel. He said he was the driver in several kidnappings, home invasion robberies and murders. He was willing to trade the information for freedom. Over a period of two hours Tony was debriefed by detectives and gave specific and verifiable information about the players, locations and intentions of the local DTO. If true it was frightening. The $10,000 question, is it true?
The police work with informants constantly. It allows us access to high level crime. Some informants (CI’s) are good, most are liars to some extent. After all they are crooks. Chucks as they are called are a necessary evil. When possible we believe them but only with verification. We look for secondary sources of information or independent facts to corroborate. When you send a CI or source into a dope house to buy drugs you photo copy the money, search them thoroughly and wire them for sound. This is all to validate their actions and ensure their safety. You believe with verification. Tony was building trust because we could verify the information he gave us. Now it was time to spend money and take action.
“I know where the cartel buried 4 people. They were shot and killed. I saw the graves dug.” We had no missing person’s reports but with the cartels and undocumented immigrants this would not be unusual. He described the location as Jamul near Lyon Valley road. “You turn left at the top of the hill, drive past the slow down sign, turn right at the white fence and by the tree with the three ropes the bodies are buried.” A team of detectives were sent that direction not wasting anytime. The call came over the Nextel…”the location appears valid.” Trust with verification is the motto. We established a full search team as the darkness set in. It was soon called off because of the darkness. Bright and early on a Saturday morning the DA, FBI, DEA, ATF, CIU and ICE went to the 500 acre area. Where do you begin to search? Cadaver dogs went in first for the enormous task of grave location. For two hours they ran like wild men through the dense, chest high weeds with their noses millimeters from the ground. Tongues hanging and tails wagging the pups found nothing except for the chicken fighting cages where migrants would bet for their favorite birds. A place of violent death, it seemed appropriate. Detectives marched through the rattle snake infested scrub brush looking for unnatural mounds of dirt. Nothing! It was hot and humid and tempers rose with the misery index. Finally someone yelled, “bring that idiot down here!”
Tony is 21 years old. He is 6’1” and solidly built. He was adorned in blue pajamas that look like doctor scrubs except for the heavy white stenciled “SD county Jail” vertically written on the left side. Silver belly chains with a handcuff on each side secured his arms and prevented violence. He stood by the tree with hanging white ropes. Where did you see the bodies buried? Tony marched directly to the west walking through the weeds and dried out brush that a magnifying glass would turn into a wild fire. It led to an opening where there was a box spring, broken beer bottles and an unnatural earthen mound of fresh dirt.
Vigorously detectives carefully removed layers of dirt and debris. 5’ down beneath the surface they came to the end of their journey. The cost to this point was large; 10 detectives, two sergeants and two lieutenants most on overtime. Ruined Saturday’s not to mention the human toll and disruption to a neighborhood. NOTHING! Zip! Zero! No bodies. Tony was in trouble and he knew it. He just did not know how much trouble. He just compounded his problems. Not only was he a felon in possession of a gun but he lied to federal officers and impeded locals. Not good. Worst of all he would now be branded a snitch with the new charges. Even though he led the police astray the cartel, his employers, would wonder how much he told. For Tony life would never be the same. He knows because the people hanging from the bridges in Tijuana were those thought to be police informants. When debriefed he admitted he lied. He did not think we would take the search to that extreme. He did not realize we believe because we can verify. He was no longer believable or useful.
The other day the National Geographic Channel had a show about evidence of the great flood. It’s always nice to have scientific evidence of things the Bible claim. It helps us trust through verification of fact. The Black sea according to core samples was a fresh water body of water but due to rising levels of water it became a salt water ocean about 7,600 years ago. They believe it was due to a world wide flood. It made me smile because it lends verification. God and his word is all together trust worthy whether or not man can verify it, but verification is important. The Apostle Paul mentioned this in Romans 1. “What maybe know about God is plain to them, because God made it plan to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that me are without excuse.” Next time you are pushed under by a powerful wave http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U66qW7kBVnM
say I feel God’s invisible qualities; the next time you see the strength of a mountain you are witness to God’s power and next time the Aurora Borealis lights up the northern sky praise the Savior because it is the evidence that verifies God's existance. Yeah, trust with verification. God present and his salvation is real. Merry Christmas!
He opened his backpack to pull out a pen for note taking. A benign task except when you have a loaded 9mm handgun stashed in the zipper compartment where the pen was located. The gun was fully loaded with 16, 175 grain, semi jacketed hollow point rounds. They are the kind that tear threw the flesh leaving gaping holes that can cause death. Many a gangster rappers talk about grabbing their “9”. Antonio is a gangster. The girl behind him saw the butt of the gun and secretly called 911. Two patrol officers responded and took Antonio out of the class. He went to jail without trouble, until he got to the holding tank.
“I know people who are cartel living in SD. I can give them to you.” That kind of information is useful. Two CIU detectives sat down with Tony after getting the facts about his current charges. Tony is a foot soldier for a local drug trafficking organization (DTO) with ties to the Tijuana cartel. He said he was the driver in several kidnappings, home invasion robberies and murders. He was willing to trade the information for freedom. Over a period of two hours Tony was debriefed by detectives and gave specific and verifiable information about the players, locations and intentions of the local DTO. If true it was frightening. The $10,000 question, is it true?
The police work with informants constantly. It allows us access to high level crime. Some informants (CI’s) are good, most are liars to some extent. After all they are crooks. Chucks as they are called are a necessary evil. When possible we believe them but only with verification. We look for secondary sources of information or independent facts to corroborate. When you send a CI or source into a dope house to buy drugs you photo copy the money, search them thoroughly and wire them for sound. This is all to validate their actions and ensure their safety. You believe with verification. Tony was building trust because we could verify the information he gave us. Now it was time to spend money and take action.
“I know where the cartel buried 4 people. They were shot and killed. I saw the graves dug.” We had no missing person’s reports but with the cartels and undocumented immigrants this would not be unusual. He described the location as Jamul near Lyon Valley road. “You turn left at the top of the hill, drive past the slow down sign, turn right at the white fence and by the tree with the three ropes the bodies are buried.” A team of detectives were sent that direction not wasting anytime. The call came over the Nextel…”the location appears valid.” Trust with verification is the motto. We established a full search team as the darkness set in. It was soon called off because of the darkness. Bright and early on a Saturday morning the DA, FBI, DEA, ATF, CIU and ICE went to the 500 acre area. Where do you begin to search? Cadaver dogs went in first for the enormous task of grave location. For two hours they ran like wild men through the dense, chest high weeds with their noses millimeters from the ground. Tongues hanging and tails wagging the pups found nothing except for the chicken fighting cages where migrants would bet for their favorite birds. A place of violent death, it seemed appropriate. Detectives marched through the rattle snake infested scrub brush looking for unnatural mounds of dirt. Nothing! It was hot and humid and tempers rose with the misery index. Finally someone yelled, “bring that idiot down here!”
Tony is 21 years old. He is 6’1” and solidly built. He was adorned in blue pajamas that look like doctor scrubs except for the heavy white stenciled “SD county Jail” vertically written on the left side. Silver belly chains with a handcuff on each side secured his arms and prevented violence. He stood by the tree with hanging white ropes. Where did you see the bodies buried? Tony marched directly to the west walking through the weeds and dried out brush that a magnifying glass would turn into a wild fire. It led to an opening where there was a box spring, broken beer bottles and an unnatural earthen mound of fresh dirt.
Vigorously detectives carefully removed layers of dirt and debris. 5’ down beneath the surface they came to the end of their journey. The cost to this point was large; 10 detectives, two sergeants and two lieutenants most on overtime. Ruined Saturday’s not to mention the human toll and disruption to a neighborhood. NOTHING! Zip! Zero! No bodies. Tony was in trouble and he knew it. He just did not know how much trouble. He just compounded his problems. Not only was he a felon in possession of a gun but he lied to federal officers and impeded locals. Not good. Worst of all he would now be branded a snitch with the new charges. Even though he led the police astray the cartel, his employers, would wonder how much he told. For Tony life would never be the same. He knows because the people hanging from the bridges in Tijuana were those thought to be police informants. When debriefed he admitted he lied. He did not think we would take the search to that extreme. He did not realize we believe because we can verify. He was no longer believable or useful.
The other day the National Geographic Channel had a show about evidence of the great flood. It’s always nice to have scientific evidence of things the Bible claim. It helps us trust through verification of fact. The Black sea according to core samples was a fresh water body of water but due to rising levels of water it became a salt water ocean about 7,600 years ago. They believe it was due to a world wide flood. It made me smile because it lends verification. God and his word is all together trust worthy whether or not man can verify it, but verification is important. The Apostle Paul mentioned this in Romans 1. “What maybe know about God is plain to them, because God made it plan to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that me are without excuse.” Next time you are pushed under by a powerful wave http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U66qW7kBVnM
say I feel God’s invisible qualities; the next time you see the strength of a mountain you are witness to God’s power and next time the Aurora Borealis lights up the northern sky praise the Savior because it is the evidence that verifies God's existance. Yeah, trust with verification. God present and his salvation is real. Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Train Anyway!
Cathy looked outside at storm clouds. It was early so she grabbed a cup of morning tea and some yogurt with nuts and berries. Over breakfast she thought about not going but decided that if our boys in Afghanistan and Iraq can handle the elements and the cops on the beat can weather the storm she can go for a little run. She laced up her Nike’s, pulled on a couple layers of clothes and opened the door. Today is a 7 mile jaunt. Bit its cold! Train anyway. It’s raining. Train anyway. It’s early. Train anyway. Just then a gust of wind came and blew down the Christmas decorations on the front porch. The Santa banner landed in the bushes, the poinsettia and garland was on the sidewalk and the lights came loose. Train anyway she thought. Some special forces guy is hiking up the side of a mountain in the snow. The rain started in earnest as Cathy ran southbound from the warmth of the house.
A mile into the run the winds picked up to gale force velocity. Cathy bore down and leaned into the invisible force of resistance. The rain was relentless stinging her face with needle like pricks, much from sticking your head out the car window at 50 MPH. A branch broke off a Maple tree blocking her path. She jumped to avoid a collision with the stronger object. Mile two should be an adventure. Rounding the corner and down the hill brought rain at biblical proportions. (Remember the 70’s song…It never rains in California, but girl let me warn you it pours, man it pours.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pyC7WnvLT4 Rare for SD in the southern part of the city a funnel cloud was caught on tape. I think it was a level F .3, didn’t even rate a one, but none the less rare for SD. Water flows down hill and Cathy found herself running in shin deep water at white water rapids speed. Mile three can only get better, maybe.
A small branch was torn loose from a tree by the Clews ranch horse stables on the 56 bike path. It exploded off of Cathy’s Von Zipper sun glasses (Yeah, I’m not sure why she was wearing sun glasses on a cloudy day). In slow motion she watched as her right lens flew through the air like a drunken flying saucer spinning in space. The run now became a sprint. The lens was worth $140. The small dark piece of glass landed in the white water rapids of rain run off floating toward the ocean. Chasing the glass like a cop in foot pursuit with a bank robber, she caught it a pinned it to the ground. She kept saying to herself if the Marines can do it so can I. An F-18A thundered overhead accelerating away from Naval Station Miramar where Top Gun was filmed, giving her a renewed strength and focus. She went on to finish the run, fighting the elements, learning a little bit more about self discipline along the way. It was cold, windy, wet and rainy but she trained anyway.
The Apostle Paul told young Timothy to “train for godliness.” What are the elements of training for godliness? Tim was told to set an example in “speech, life, love and faith and purity.” Thinking through the scriptures I can think of several example of this training process. I will miss some elements and feel free to add them, but consider working these into a robust training routine for godliness. Scripture reading and memorization, prayer and meditation, fasting and self denial, sacrifice for others through giving and serving others. (I timothy 4)
I realize its tough and each of us falls off of the bandwagon. We start and stop our training programs, physical and spiritual. The elements prevent us from being committed to training. Work, life and laziness get in the way of improvement. But training for godliness has “value in all things.” Train anyway. In order to see improvement part of the training process demands consistency, discipline, growth and pushing yourself harder and harder to achieve the next level.
I am committing the 7-8PM time frame for godliness training. There is not much on the tube and bejeweled can wait. If done by 8 I won’t miss American Idol which starts the new season in January. It might be cold but let’s train anyway!
A mile into the run the winds picked up to gale force velocity. Cathy bore down and leaned into the invisible force of resistance. The rain was relentless stinging her face with needle like pricks, much from sticking your head out the car window at 50 MPH. A branch broke off a Maple tree blocking her path. She jumped to avoid a collision with the stronger object. Mile two should be an adventure. Rounding the corner and down the hill brought rain at biblical proportions. (Remember the 70’s song…It never rains in California, but girl let me warn you it pours, man it pours.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pyC7WnvLT4 Rare for SD in the southern part of the city a funnel cloud was caught on tape. I think it was a level F .3, didn’t even rate a one, but none the less rare for SD. Water flows down hill and Cathy found herself running in shin deep water at white water rapids speed. Mile three can only get better, maybe.
A small branch was torn loose from a tree by the Clews ranch horse stables on the 56 bike path. It exploded off of Cathy’s Von Zipper sun glasses (Yeah, I’m not sure why she was wearing sun glasses on a cloudy day). In slow motion she watched as her right lens flew through the air like a drunken flying saucer spinning in space. The run now became a sprint. The lens was worth $140. The small dark piece of glass landed in the white water rapids of rain run off floating toward the ocean. Chasing the glass like a cop in foot pursuit with a bank robber, she caught it a pinned it to the ground. She kept saying to herself if the Marines can do it so can I. An F-18A thundered overhead accelerating away from Naval Station Miramar where Top Gun was filmed, giving her a renewed strength and focus. She went on to finish the run, fighting the elements, learning a little bit more about self discipline along the way. It was cold, windy, wet and rainy but she trained anyway.
The Apostle Paul told young Timothy to “train for godliness.” What are the elements of training for godliness? Tim was told to set an example in “speech, life, love and faith and purity.” Thinking through the scriptures I can think of several example of this training process. I will miss some elements and feel free to add them, but consider working these into a robust training routine for godliness. Scripture reading and memorization, prayer and meditation, fasting and self denial, sacrifice for others through giving and serving others. (I timothy 4)
I realize its tough and each of us falls off of the bandwagon. We start and stop our training programs, physical and spiritual. The elements prevent us from being committed to training. Work, life and laziness get in the way of improvement. But training for godliness has “value in all things.” Train anyway. In order to see improvement part of the training process demands consistency, discipline, growth and pushing yourself harder and harder to achieve the next level.
I am committing the 7-8PM time frame for godliness training. There is not much on the tube and bejeweled can wait. If done by 8 I won’t miss American Idol which starts the new season in January. It might be cold but let’s train anyway!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Cracking Under the Pressure of Light
The room is dark, cold and foreboding. There are no windows that allow you to dream of freedom. There is only despair and loathing for what is about to come. The room is guarded by a heavy metal door that creeks shut and slams with a sound of finality. Darkness prevails in this 8’ x8’ room. Some of the people who enter the room have hearts as cold and dark as the facility.
The walls of the room are covered with eggs shell foam so every sound and word can be captured on digitally. A hidden video camera lurks in the corner recording every nervous twitch of the liars, crooks and guilty. Detectives, officers and interested DA’s hover in the adjacent video room watching the behaviors of the accused and listen to skilled detectives break tough to these murderous heathens. They all lie, it’s just a matter of how much before a detective works them into a corner and pierces their heart with truth. I have watched as the cold hearted warm, tough veneers soften and the strong weep. The police interview room is where people are faced with their guilt, are confronted by the evidence and their behaviors are brought to light.
Scott B has the hair line of Mr. Clean, the beard of Brutus and the strength of Popeye hopped up on Spinach. He is (was) a world class athlete with a Master’s in Forensic Science. He is not the guy you want to meet in a dark alley. As Mark P told me, “B is the toughest man alive. He is also one of the smartest.” Scott was just recently awarded the second highest award given by the United States Secret Service for his work on Operation Bank Gig. Lincoln Park and 5/9 Brim gang members were jacking ATM cards from US Military personnel, fraudulently dumping thousands into their accounts and then withdrawing all the account money at the local Indian casinos. The losses were absorbed by banks. The losses totaled more than $ 1 Million dollars. Scott and a USSS agent discovered this scam and went to work identifying the recruiters, scammers and gangsters. In all 65 people were arrested for bilking Navy Fed for 650K. Other banks stonewalled the investigators and just absorbed the loss.
One woman who recruited military personnel at clubs was identified and arrested. She wore her bright green shirt in tribute to LPK Piru. She walked into the interview room trying to think about how to wiggle out of this mess. She nervously sat at the table as the detectives watch for clues on the flat screen TV’s in the video room. What could they know? Everybody was doing it, why pick on me? Scott walked into the room and sat across the table from her. She began to sweat. Not from the 69 degree room temperature but from the stress of guilt. Scott just stared at her relentlessly. He could see the pulse in her neck trying to find a way through the skin. Calmly he pulled a laminated, standard police form from his pocket. In his report he would later write, “I admonished her per my PD 145.” You have the right to remain silent….do you understand your rights and are you willing to speak with me. He was careful not to be too harsh or soft because attorneys will see this video tape and make any excuse to void the interview.
Scott looked up with a fatherly looking face at this 20 year old woman. She broke. Showanda gave a full and detailed statement to Barney about her involvement, additional bank scams, who the players were and how much money they made. The gangsters took almost all the money stiffing the Sailors, recruiters and wannabe’s. Her last statement was the most powerful. “What’s done in the dark always comes to light.” I knew what I was doing was wrong. It was if that confession turned on a bright light in the dark room.
I hear and take to heart the admonishment of Jesus in John 3: “This is the verdict: Light (Jesus) has come into the world, but men loved the darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that is deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” O Lord, let my actions and behaviors match my beliefs and let everything I do be done through you…in the light.
Please pray for the families of the four slain Lakewood Officers…
The walls of the room are covered with eggs shell foam so every sound and word can be captured on digitally. A hidden video camera lurks in the corner recording every nervous twitch of the liars, crooks and guilty. Detectives, officers and interested DA’s hover in the adjacent video room watching the behaviors of the accused and listen to skilled detectives break tough to these murderous heathens. They all lie, it’s just a matter of how much before a detective works them into a corner and pierces their heart with truth. I have watched as the cold hearted warm, tough veneers soften and the strong weep. The police interview room is where people are faced with their guilt, are confronted by the evidence and their behaviors are brought to light.
Scott B has the hair line of Mr. Clean, the beard of Brutus and the strength of Popeye hopped up on Spinach. He is (was) a world class athlete with a Master’s in Forensic Science. He is not the guy you want to meet in a dark alley. As Mark P told me, “B is the toughest man alive. He is also one of the smartest.” Scott was just recently awarded the second highest award given by the United States Secret Service for his work on Operation Bank Gig. Lincoln Park and 5/9 Brim gang members were jacking ATM cards from US Military personnel, fraudulently dumping thousands into their accounts and then withdrawing all the account money at the local Indian casinos. The losses were absorbed by banks. The losses totaled more than $ 1 Million dollars. Scott and a USSS agent discovered this scam and went to work identifying the recruiters, scammers and gangsters. In all 65 people were arrested for bilking Navy Fed for 650K. Other banks stonewalled the investigators and just absorbed the loss.
One woman who recruited military personnel at clubs was identified and arrested. She wore her bright green shirt in tribute to LPK Piru. She walked into the interview room trying to think about how to wiggle out of this mess. She nervously sat at the table as the detectives watch for clues on the flat screen TV’s in the video room. What could they know? Everybody was doing it, why pick on me? Scott walked into the room and sat across the table from her. She began to sweat. Not from the 69 degree room temperature but from the stress of guilt. Scott just stared at her relentlessly. He could see the pulse in her neck trying to find a way through the skin. Calmly he pulled a laminated, standard police form from his pocket. In his report he would later write, “I admonished her per my PD 145.” You have the right to remain silent….do you understand your rights and are you willing to speak with me. He was careful not to be too harsh or soft because attorneys will see this video tape and make any excuse to void the interview.
Scott looked up with a fatherly looking face at this 20 year old woman. She broke. Showanda gave a full and detailed statement to Barney about her involvement, additional bank scams, who the players were and how much money they made. The gangsters took almost all the money stiffing the Sailors, recruiters and wannabe’s. Her last statement was the most powerful. “What’s done in the dark always comes to light.” I knew what I was doing was wrong. It was if that confession turned on a bright light in the dark room.
I hear and take to heart the admonishment of Jesus in John 3: “This is the verdict: Light (Jesus) has come into the world, but men loved the darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that is deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” O Lord, let my actions and behaviors match my beliefs and let everything I do be done through you…in the light.
Please pray for the families of the four slain Lakewood Officers…
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