By Amanda Baumfeld, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/26/2009 06:05:47 AM PST
Covina Holiday Murders
Covina Holiday Massacre special section
COVINA - The actions the Covina Police Department took in its investigation of a mass murder that left nine people dead on Christmas Eve 2008 have become a blueprint for area police agencies.
The department's eight detectives and two detective supervisors led the city's most high-profile and horrific murder investigation to date. It involved hundreds of hours of work and interviews throughout Los Angeles County and the collection of more than 200 pieces of evidence.
On top of that, the department immediately worked toward healing the community. Detectives brought in counselors to help the shaken neighborhood. They hosted a large community meeting and remained a presence on the street for two weeks after the tragedy.
"A lot of departments would say we know who did it, our job is done but what Covina did is to comfort the community," West Covina Police Chief Frank Wills said.
"They realized there was a lot of questions about background, impact on the neighbors and Chief (Kim) Raney and the men and women of the department just stepped up. It's a lesson for all of us."
Pasadena police Lt. John Dewar agreed.
"I think the response from the community support really played out in favor of this case," Dewar said. "It really is important that a community doesn't go it alone."
What the Pasadena Police Department really took away from the incident was a re-examination of the severity of domestic violence.
"I think
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it impacted a little bit the way we look at domestic violence," Dewar said. "It's a problem and until we look at it in a really broad holistic sense we won't solve the violence that can happen inside families."
Nine members of the close-knit Ortega family died on Christmas Eve 2008. They were identified as Sylvia Pardo; her parents, Joseph and Alicia Ortega; brothers James and Charlie Ortega; their wives, Cheri and Teresa; her sister Alicia Ortiz; and Alicia's 17-year-old son, Michael.
Their killer, Sylvia's estranged husband Bruce Pardo, 45, of Montrose, arrived at the Knollcrest home dressed as Santa Claus. He systematically executed several family members before his homemade flamethrower exploded.
Pardo later killed himself at his brother's Sylmar home.
Covina police Chief Raney said there was no other way to cover a similar incident other than through community outreach.
"The fact that the crime scene investigation was done there was no way we were going to leave that neighborhood," Raney said. "I think it sent a message, `we are here with you and we are not leaving you."'
While it may serve as a blueprint to departments, utilizing officers to participate in community healing was made possible because the only suspect was dead.
"It takes a lot more had it been a whodunnit," said Gil Carrillo, a retired Los Angeles County homicide detective. "Where you don't know and don't have a suspect it's a lot more intense and a lot more you have to do."
The 38-year veteran of the department said in the world of homicides, Covina's investigation was "relatively simple," since Bruce Pardo was already dead.
"Covina did an exceptional job," Carrillo said. "They don't get this on a daily basis."
In 2007, Covina saw seven homicides, in 2008 they had 10, nine of which occurred on Christmas Eve. This year they have had four, according to Lt. Tim Doonan.
In April, Covina detectives received the "Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation Award for Investigative Excellence." The ICI is a branch of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
The Independent City Association has invited the department to talk about their investigative efforts at cities throughout Los Angeles and San Diego counties.
"We talk about our experience and things we think we did well and things we learned from it," Raney said. "Whatever the next tragedy is in Southern California cities can pull in from other experiences."
amanda.baumfeld@sgvn.com
626-962-8811, ext. 2108
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