A1/N E W

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2013

TODAYS OUTLOOK: INLAND: 54|34 MOUNTAINS: 38|22 DESERT: 59|41 COMPLETE LOCAL FORECAST: B8

INL AND SOUTHERN C ALIFORNIA S NEWSPAPER

NEW

One of its vehicles crashed Feb. 3 north of Yucaipa, killing eight. Authorities say bus maintenance records were falsified

Bus rental company ordered to close

BY BRIAN ROKOS STAFF WRITER brokos@pe.com The company whose bus hurtled out of control before a devastating collision with two other vehicles on Highway 38 north of Yucaipa was ordered Friday, Feb. 8, to cease operations immediately. Federal officials described the company, Scapadas Magicas LLC, as an imminent hazard to public safety after finding mechanical problems with its other buses. Eight people, including seven passengers, died as a result of the Feb. 3 crash. U.S. Department of Transportation investigators also determined that the Tijuana-based company supplied documentation during a January compliance check that falsely stated that its buses were well-maintained and its drivers were properly licensed. I give them an A-plus that they ordered them to cease, said Brenda Knight, whose uncle, Fred B. Richardson, 72, died three days after the bus slammed into the pickup he was driving four miles from his home. Knight, a member of the Beaumont City Council, is an alternate on the Riverside Transit Agency and a member of a five-person group that discusses busing issues

Manhunt goes cold

SAN BERNARDINO COUNT Y: SE ARCH FOR SUSPECT SLOWED BY WINTER WE ATHER

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon talks to the media Friday during a news conference about the search for fired Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner in Big Bear Lake. Searchers in the San Bernardino Mountains had to proceed without air support due to the weather.

MARK MUCKENFUSS/STAFF

Reported sightings of alleged killer around Southern California dont pan out
BY JANET ZIMMERMAN, JOHN ASBURY AND MARK MUCKENFUSS STAFF WRITERS jzimmerman@pe.com | jasbury@pe.com mmuckenfuss@pe.com

Sign up for email alerts on the Christopher Dorner manhunt. pe.com

SEE BUS/A4

IN MAIN NEWS

BY LORA HINES STAFF WRITER lhines@pe.com Moreno Valley school board member Mike Rios was convicted Friday, Feb. 8, of pimping, pandering and insurance fraud. Jurors found Rios, 42, not guilty on one rape charge. They hung on a second rape charge and one pandering charge. During the trial, Rios cried and engaged in sharp exchanges with the Mike Rios prosecutor. Jurors got the case Thursday. State law says Rios school board seat will not become vacant until his sentencing on March 8. John Hall, spokesman for the Lee McDaniel is being praised Riverside County district attor- for notifying police after seeing neys office, said it was unclear whether Rios would be retried on the murder suspects pickup at the two charges on which the jury a gas station hung. BY JEFF HORSEMAN Rios was taken into custody folSTAFF WRITER lowing his conviction. His bail was jhorseman@pe.com revoked. He faces up to 33 years in As he remembers what happrison during sentencing. pened in his brush with an alleged Deputy Riverside County Public mass killer, Lee McDaniel keeps SEE RIOS/A4 thinking about 60 seconds. What if 60 seconds of his encounter with Christopher Dorner were 50 cents different? Would it have changed a To subscribe: 1-800-794-NEWS red light to green? A red light where two Riverside police officers Copyright 2013 The Press-Enterprise Company were waiting when an assailant ridSECTION C SECTION A dled their car with bullets, killing California ......A12 Local News......C1 one and wounding another? Lottery .........A12 TV Listings......C2 I have people telling me No, you Nation..........A13 Obituaries ......C7 changed the whole game plan of World ..........A16 Gardening ......C9 this. You changed the whole dyYour Views.....A19 Movies..........C9 Opinion.........A19 Sudoku.........C10 namic Now instead of him huntBridge .........C10 ing, hes the hunted, McDaniel, 48, SECTION B Comics.......C10-11 said in an interview at his home FriSports Day......B1 Crossword .....C11 day, Feb. 8. Weather ........B8 And that all sounds really good. SECTION D And granted, maybe five people Business ........D1 Dividends.......D2 may be alive that might not have Local Stocks ...D3 been. But theres still one thats not. CLASSIFIED . . . . . . . . . . D5 And I dont think its much of a conJUMBLE PUZZLE . . . . . D5 solation to that officers family
SERVICE DIRECTORY . D6

Rios is guilty of pimping, fraud charges

The manhunt for suspected cop killer Christopher Dorner hit a dead end Friday, Feb. 8, as mountain searchers battled unrelenting snow and investigators chased numerous false leads throughout Southern California for the man they say opened fire on Riverside police officers with an assault rifle. The Big Bear area search was halted Friday night and will resume today, San Bernardino County spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said. At least 24 additional deputies patrolled the area overnight, though it was unknown whether Dorner was still in the area. The danger is, he could be out there, Bachman said. Meanwhile, more details emerged of the early morning attack Thursday on two Riverside officers on routine patrol. One of the officers, a

Students at school near Riverside shooting site pray, help through blood drive. A5 Ski resorts fear loss of business during manhunt. A9 His partner lay lifeless in the passenger seat. The injured officer asked the man to press down on the button of his radio microphone so he could make a distress call to dispatch. A second driver tried to follow the suspect but lost him, Diaz said. They did these significant acts of heroism not knowing whether (Dorner) would turn on them, he said. The injured officer, who had transferred from the Inglewood Police Department a month ago, was in intensive care Friday. He will probably need reconstructive surgery on his arms and shoul-

Flowers sit at the Safe in His Arms memorial by the Riverside police station. An officer died and another was badly wounded Thursday.
27-year-old trainee, was behind the wheel when a driver pulled up next to them at Arlington and Magnolia avenues and opened fire with an assault rifle, said Riv-

STAN LIM/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

erside Police Chief Sergio Diaz. A motorist who witnessed the attack rushed to help. Because of the gunshots, the officer was unable to use his arms.

SEE DORNER/A6

Corona man describes encounter with Dorner

Lee McDaniel spotted Christopher Dorner at a Corona gas station and flagged down a passing LAPD car.

CHRIS ERCOLI/STAFF

A 60-second change in time anywhere, that red light turns green, those officers arent there and (the officer who died) is still alive.
LEE MCDANIEL
McDaniel described what he said was his run-in with Dorner, a former Los Angeles cop accused of a murderous rampage that began with a double homicide Sunday, Feb. 3, in Irvine and ended the week with police searching the snowy woods in the mountains south of Big Bear Lake, where Dorners burned-out Nissan Titan pickup

was found. It was a pickup McDaniel said he saw around 1 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, when he stopped for gas at the ampm station on Weirick Road, just off Interstate 15 in Corona. The afternoon before, he said he saw a news bulletin on the search for Dorner, the suspect in the murder of Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence in Irvine. Quan was the daughter of a retired LAPD captain who represented Dorner at an administrative hearing before he was fired from the department in 2009 for making false accusations against a training officer. The bulletin, he said, described a blue pickup with a license plate starting with 7. McDaniel said Dorner was standing in line behind him inside the convenience store. Dorner was an imposing figure, he said. He looked familiar to me for some reason, McDaniel said. Still, McDaniel said he didnt think anything of it until he got back in his truck, turned right and passed by the store to go out. He said he saw Dorners pickup on the other side of the gas pumps, facing the store, he said. At that point, Im like OK. Wait

SEE MCDANIEL/A8

A6/N E W A6

SATURDAY, February 9, 2013

NEW

MANHUNT FOR SUSPECT IN LA RIVERSIDE SLAYINGS

THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

DORNER
ders but is expected to make a full recovery, Diaz said. Hes in good spirits, but a lot of pain, he said. He has visits on a limited basis, but the pain continues. Funeral arrangements are pending for the 34-year-old officer who died. He was an 11-year veteran of the department and was training the younger officer when they were attacked. The Riverside Police Department has asked the news media not to report the names of the officers who were shot. The Press-Enterprise is complying with the request because the suspect has threatened publicly to go after police officers families. The Riverside attack was the latest in a crime spree attributed to Dorner, 33, a fired Los Angeles police officer. Dorner is suspected of fatally shooting the daughter of a retired LAPD officer and her fianc Sunday in Irvine. Early Thursday, about 20 minutes before the 1:35 a.m. shooting in Riverside, Dorner is suspected of shooting at two LAPD officers on a call TERRY PIERSON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER in Corona, injuring one. The command post in the San Bernardino Mountains is under snow as the hunt for former LAPD Officer Christopher Dorner goes on around Big Bear Resort Dorner had posted a long- and Snow Summit on Friday. Dormer is wanted in connection with three killings: two last weekend and that of a Riverside police officer Thursday. winded manifesto on his The manhunt was taking Facebook page saying he was its toll on searchers, she said. driven to revenge against The level of frustration is LAPD officers and their famithat, you know, its just taklies. He was fired four years ing longer for them to do ago for making false statewhat they do best. The snow ments and a false personnel BUNIONS, BIG TOE PAIN, is really slowing them down, complaint against his trainand they dont have any air ing officer and vowed to clear ARCH/HEEL PAIN, NEUROMAS, CINDY BACHMAN, support today, Bachman his name. PAIN BETWEEN THE TOES SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFFS SPOKEWOMAN said. DR. KRAGES PROPRIETARY NON-SURGICAL NARROWED SEARCH west of Bear Mountain ski re- Dorner might be hiding The hunt for Dorner crissLASER FOOT TREATMENT CAN ELEMINATE YOUR FOOT PAIN WITHOUT SURGERY! there, in addition to the door- crossed Southern California On Thursday, searchers sort in the Big Bear area. A winter storm that to-door search of 400 cabins and Nevada, and investigafollowed what they said were Dorners footprints found brought more than a foot of the day before. They also tors seized evidence from BUNIONS: A bunion is the result of misalignment of the big near his Nissan Titan truck, snow and limited visibility searched a plot of vacant the La Palma home where toe, caused by an abnormal gait. This produces an unsightly bump on the right side of the big toe and causes the toe to helicopters land 35 miles away in Arrow- Dorner lived with his mothwhich was discovered burn- grounded angle or go under the second toe. It forces the other toes to ing near a Forest Service equipped with thermal and bear Lake that belongs to er. Police in Enid, Okla., and become misaligned. Dr. Krages LASER treatment, can help Dorners mother, Bachman Pensacola, Fla., also were on prevent painful surgery, which does not address the road in the San Bernardino infrared technology. SWAT teams were able to said. Mountains. alert because Dorner men- underlying cause of bunion. But there were no new tioned the two cities where The truck was turned over use search dogs, a Snowcat to the Irvine Police Depart- trail groomer and an ar- leads, she said. Another set he once lived in his manifes2 FREE LASER ment; officials declined to mored personnel carrier of footprints found six miles to. TREATMENTS, say what was inside the vehi- equipped with chains. from Dorners truck turned Reported sightings of the EXAM AND Checkpoints were set up on out to be those of a cross- former Los Angeles policecle. CONSULTATION Dr. Robert Krage D.C. FOR FIRST 25 country skier, and a kicked- man spanned from San DieOn Friday, the search for the major highways. Officers canvassed about in cabin door was deter- go to Los Angeles to BarDorner focused on an 951-808-5221 CALLERS! 8-square-mile area south- 200 vacant cabins to see if mined to be old damage. SEE DORNER/A8
CONTINUED FROM A1

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A8/N E W A8

SATURDAY, February 9, 2013

NEW

MANHUNT FOR SUSPECT IN LA, RIVERSIDE SLAYINGS

THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

DORNER
stow, all of them fruitless. The Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles was on lockdown for several hours Friday after a jail employee reported seeing someone who resembled Dorner. Sheriffs officials determined he wasnt there. Reports that he was seen in a white Lexus in Barstow and at the Barona Casino near San Diego also were unsubstantiated, officials said. In downtown Riverside, meanwhile, a strong police presence remained Friday, with officers posted at corners near the district attorneys office and City Hall. A small memorial of flowers was set up at the site of the fatal shooting.
CONTINUED FROM A6

BAD WEATHER
Very cold temperatures are forecast over the next few days on the mountain. Wind gusts are expected to reach 50 mph, with sustained winds of 30 mph. Authorities said Dorner did not have winter survivalist training. It is unknown how he may be battling the elements if he is in fact hiding in the wilderness. Big Bear schools were STAN LIM/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER closed Friday because of the An armed police officer guards the district attorney's office in Riverside on Friday. Police kept a stepped-up presence in the wake of the shootings. police investigation and the weather. Snow also closed Dorner. page, which he created in late ner may have tried to leave schools in the Rim of The A short time later, the two January. In the statement, he the country. He checked inWorld district. Riverside officers were amvowed unconventional and to a hotel on Naval Base Ski facilities reopened Fribushed, said Diaz, the Riverasymmetrical warfare to Point Loma, in San Diego, day, and visitors seemed unside chief. those in LAPD uniform on Tuesday, but never forconcerned that Dorner Someone in a vehicle pullwhether on or off duty You mally checked out, Navy might still be in the area. ed alongside the squad car, will now live the life of the spokesman Brad Fagan If he were staying up which was facing south and prey. said. here, he wouldnt have stopped at a red light, and Unfortunately, this is a Dorner tried to steal a boat burned the car, said Kelby shot the officers multiple necessary evil that I do not Wednesday night from a San Tovar, 31, of Newport Beach. times, Diaz said. The officers enjoy but must partake and Diego-area yacht club, but SERGIO DIAZ, RIVERSIDE That would just call attennever got off a shot, authorcomplete for substantial the motor wouldnt start, auPOLICE CHIEF, SPEAKING tion to him. Hes going to go ities said. change to occur within the thorities said. Early ThursKELBY TOVAR, NEWPORT OF ONE OF TWO back to LA and do what he Neither officer worked for LAPD and reclaim my day, Dorners identification BEACH RESIDENT SKIING OFFICERS SHOT EARLY said he was going to do. the LAPD and nothing sugname. and a badge were found by a IN S.B. MOUNTAINS THURSDAY MORNING Thats my opinion. Hes a gests the suspect was targetThe manifesto included a passer-by on a street near man on a mission. ing Riverside, said Diaz, a list of people he might target, San Diego International Airthe field unless his perfor- and they were placed under port. two exits south of Magnolia former LAPD commander. VIOLENT MANIFESTO mance improved, according protection by the LAPD. He added: My opinion of Early Thursday, two LAPD Avenue, when Dorner, Dorner, a former Navy Re- to the report. This is extremely worri- officers en route to Corona to armed with a rifle or other the suspect is unprintable. Shortly after that, he made some and scary for the police protect someone on Dorners weapon on his shoulder, The manifesto, I think, serve officer who received the Iraq Campaign Medal the use of force allegations involved in this manhunt, manifesto were flagged fired at them, LAPD Sgt. Ru- speaks for itself in terms of and the Global War on Ter- against her, the Times re- Los Angeles Police Chief down by a witness who had dy Lopez said. the evidence of a depraved rorism Service Medal, was ported. Charlie Beck said. One of the officers was and abandoned mind and identified the suspects vehidismissed from the Los Anheart. And the cowardly way Of course he knows what cle at a gas station. grazed in the head. Dorner was in the Navy Regeles Police Department in serve from 2002 to Feb. 1 of hes doing, he said. We The officers fired back that he ambushed your pubThe officers were still in 2009 after a board of review this year, when he was honor- trained him. their car outside an am/pm with their handguns, but Lo- lic servants speaks to his found he made false allega- ably discharged after twice market near Interstate 15, pez didnt know if they hit character. DEADLY RAMPAGE tions of police brutality being passed over for promoagainst a training officer. He tion, officials said. He rose to Dorner is suspected of besued unsuccessfully to get the rank of lieutenant. ginning his deadly rampage his job back. He earned a rifle marks- Feb. 3 in Irvine, killing Cal Police records cited by the man ribbon, a pistol expert State Fullerton assistant Los Angeles Times said his medal and an Iraq Campaign basketball coach Monica training officer complained Medal, military records Quan and her fianc, Keith that Dorner made repeated show. Dorner was assigned Lawrence. Quans father is mistakes in the field, and to a mobile inshore undersea Randy Quan, a retired LAPD lacked common sense and warfare unit, among other captain involved in a persongood judgment. She told Dor- postings. nel review that led to Dorner that she would recomHis rambling manifesto ners dismissal. mend he be removed from was posted on his Facebook Authorities believe Dor-

Hes going to go back to LA and do what he said he was going to do. Thats my opinion. Hes a man on a mission.

Hes in good spirits, but a lot of pain. He has visits on a limited basis, but the pain continues.

MCDANIEL
CONTINUED FROM A1

a minute, he said. But he said the news story he saw described the suspects vehicle as blue. This Nissan was grey, he said. LAPD eventually described Dorners pickup as metallic grey. McDaniel said he and Dorner locked eyes. He described Dorners face as emotionless, and said Dorner, who had his driver door open, had his hands clasped in front of him. In hindsight, (the stare was like) Whats this guy doing? McDaniel said. Dorner was wearing a skilike jacket with lots of pockets that was beige or light green and dark pants, he said. McDaniel said he pulled away from the side of the road, made a U-turn and pulled up across the street from the gas station. He said Dorner got in his vehicle and headed down Wierick toward Temescal Canyon Road, where he turned right. He said he was dialing the number for Corona police when he saw an LAPD car exiting the freeway. McDaniel said he used his lights to catch the officers attention. McDaniel and the officers pulled into the gas station, he said, where he asked them if they were looking for Dorner. The officers were in Corona to protect one of Dorners targets. One officer radioed in while the other took down McDaniels information, he said. Then one of the officers saw Dorners truck drive Follow Jeff Horseman on Twitter: past and head northbound on @JeffHorseman

I-15. The officers got in their car in pursuit of Dorner. McDaniel said he followed but, thinking Dorner exited at El Cerrito Road, he got off the freeway there and searched the area for the pickup. About 10 minutes later, McDaniel said he got back on I-15 and saw Magnolia Avenue lit up by sirens. He exited at Magnolia, where an officer told him one of the LAPD officers had been shot in the head. The officer suffered a graze wound, authorities said. Twenty to 30 minutes later, McDaniel said he was still at the scene giving his information to authorities when he overheard a California Highway Patrol officer receiving a radio call about the Riverside shootings. Citing policy, Los Angeles police would not confirm that McDaniel was the man who flagged their officers down. But LA Sgt. Rudy Lopez said McDaniels account is very similar to his understanding of what happened. McDaniel said hes not worried about his safety because of the massive manhunt under way for Dorner. He said he has received a lot of kind words about what he did. But it still doesnt change youre constantly replaying everything in your head, he said. (A) 60-second difference somewhere. Would it have made a difference? A 60-second change in time anywhere, that red light turns green, those officers arent there and (the officer who died) is still alive.

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A9/
THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

MANHUNT FOR SUSPECT IN LA, RIVERSIDE SLAYINGS

SATURDAY, February 9, 2013

A9

Manhunt, storm slow Big Bear business

Ski resorts have lots of fresh snow, but the hunt for a suspected killer puts a crimp in hotel bookings
BY DEBRA GRUSZECKI AND MARK MUCKENFUSS STAFF WRITERS dgruszecki@pe.com

The Big Bear community, which ordinarily would be celebrating a foot of fresh powder falling on the slopes, on Friday fretted that one of the biggest tourist weekends of the winter ski season will take a hit as the manhunt for a suspected cop killer continues. Snow conditions are optimal, with nearly a foot of fresh snow blanketing the slopes in Big Bear before noon Friday. Temperatures are moderate. But Brent Tregaskis, general manager of Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, said ski-pass sales were down about 15 percent. Its slow, but were not surprised, he said. With this amount of snow, the chain requirements and negative press you get with potentially having a killer on the loose, we havent had as many on the hill as wed normally have. Tregaskis said about 100 fewer customers were at Bear Mountain on Friday than the day before when about 600 skiers and snowboarders were given halfprice return passes and escorted out of the grounds amid a massive search. We felt it was prudent to close it down to give law enforcement a couple hours of daylight to search the ski areas, cars and nearby cabins, he said. Snow Summit closed for the night at 4 p.m. and, like Bear Mountain, re-opened Friday morning. We were encouraged by law enforcement to close, but they did not force us, he said. We just did not want to

Heavy snow falls on skiiers at the Bear Moutain Ski area. Despite the ongoing manhunt for former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner, the slopes are open.
put the public or our employees at risk. Tregaskis said resort staff members consulted San Bernardino County officials early Friday before opening. San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said the entire resort area has been searched, and the SWAT officers are in the hills looking for Christopher Dorner. We have searched all the houses, and gone door to door, McMahon said. Right now, its a little intense, Tregaskis said. But with this much law enforcement here, I feel pretty comfortable. I think most people feel like hes (Dorner) gone. And you cant have a powder day and not ski. Its great powder, Kelby Tovar, 31, of Newport Beach, said as he got ready to hit the slopes. He wasnt expecting to see as much police presence on Friday as he did the day before. On Thursday, he said, The helicopters were flying up next to you on the chairlift. It was crazy. During a press conference Friday, Big Bear Lake Mayor Jay Obernolte insisted that the ski areas are safe and would not have reopened if law enforcement officials felt otherwise. There is no panic here, he said, describing Big Bear as a hardy community. Many people here are armed, he added. Tregaskis said he hoped the authorities find Dorner soon. We havent calculated the revenue loss, yet, Tregaskis said. If they find this guy soon, and find hes not here, itll bounce back quickly. If theres reason to believe hes still in Big Bear, which I dont believe there is, itll take some time maybe three to four days to get back on track. Tourism and restaurant business has been affected, he said. Hotel guests at some Big Bear area properties checked out Thursday. Restaurants were practically empty. Booking desks for hotel, B&B, lodge and cabin resort properties were busy fielding weekend cancellation calls. As of mid-Friday, major hotels and lodges collectively had more than 100 available rooms left to book for the weekend. Cindy Nichols, a bar manager at Mill Creek Cattle Co. & Diamond Lils Saloon, said daytime business has been slow since Thursday. I have a lot of friends who work in the resort business where they rent homes, and theyve had massive cancellations, she said. People dont want to bring their family up here because of that guy, Christopher. It didnt scare everyone off, Rachel Wade, executive director of Big Bear Chamber of Commerce, said. But with everyone on heightened alert, and a big storm coming, there was definitely an impact on business. Kinner Oza, 29, of Los Angeles, had organized a ski weekend for a group of 23 people from his former

MARK MUCKENFUSS/STAFF

hometown of Houston. After texting back-and-forth, the travel party decided to make the trip. We had an action plan, Justin Ruth, 29, said of their drive to Big Bear on Thursday. We knew what (Dorner) looked like. Our action plan was if we saw him, we were just going to gun for him in the Jeep. Oza, an information technology worker, said he had faith that police had made the area safe. Richard Bubel, 27, of Glendora, shared that view. Yesterday, I looked at my phone and there were like six messages: Dont go to Big Bear. Theres a killer! Bubel said. With all the law enforcement in the area, he said, I think this is the safest place to be.