June 2, 2008 by Bill Gould, Publisher.

Moreno Valley, California - On Monday, June 02, 2008, about 1:04 PM, a suspect entered the Bank of America branch, located at 25940 Iris Ave, Moreno Valley. The suspect approached a teller and produced a note, demanding money. While the clerk was reading the note, the suspect became agitated and verbally demanded the teller give him bills in $100 denominations. The teller complied, and the suspect fled the bank with the cash.


The robbery drew the attention of a bank customer who had been waiting in line. The customer, Mr. Herbert Shepherd, left the bank to see which way the suspect had fled. When Mr. Shepherd exited the bank, he joined up with his friend, Mr. Damon Spicer, and the two Good Samaritans went after the suspect who had last been seen running westbound on Iris Ave.

Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Spicer drove their car after the suspect and briefing lost sight of him. They continued to drive the local streets, searching the area, and spotted the suspect a few blocks away, on Pacato Road. Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Spicer turned their car in front of the suspect to thwart his escape. Undeterred, the suspect turned and continued southbound on Padre Ct. The two men exited their car and chased after the suspect on foot, capturing him a short distance away.

Moreno Valley Police Officers responded to Padre Ct. and placed the suspect under arrest. The officers recovered a significant amount of money, which had been hidden nearby. The suspect was identified as J. R. Cornelius, 59, or Moreno Valley. He was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on robbery charges. The bank branch was closed for several hours, as detectives from the Moreno Valley Police Department and the F.B.I. investigated the crime.

Mr. Damon Spicer (left) and Mr. Herbert Shepherd after capturing the bank robber.

While the Moreno Valley Police Department appreciates the efforts of the Good Samaritans in this case, the Department does not encourage citizens to physically apprehend suspects, as there is an inherent danger in doing so. The Department asks citizens to serve as good witnesses and immediately call 911 to report suspect information when a crime is in progress or has just occurred.

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June 2, 2008 by PT Rothschild.

PRIVATE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION BRINGS BOTH UPDATE AND JOY

Temecula, CA – Almost a year ago, a major ‘civil war’ erupted in the local music scene that few bands and fewer music fans even knew of. This battle of ‘wills’ polarized most of the scene into one camp or another until the drama finally climaxed. The fall-out was tangible, and at least to some of those involved, still is.

Standing in the middle of this scene cyclone, I tried to direct the war traffic as to best effect a ‘cease-fire’, which came to pass when one of the main competitors moved from the valley to central California. For those left here in the dust, a few celebrated, but most sensed that a vital scene spark had gone. They were right because in this area of over 200,000 there are only two sets of people I know that share matching birthdates. Johnny, the owner of Cuppy’s (now defunct) and the young woman who returned to T-town last week to celebrate her 22^nd birthday, bringing her alternative reality with her, are one such set.

And so it happened, that as most folks went about their normal weekday routine, going to work, eating, and ‘hitting the hay’ at a normal time to be ready for the next day, a small group of men and the aforementioned ‘birthday girl’ were partying until the sun came up every day. I say ‘alternative reality’ because this revelry lasted almost a week with no one being missed from work or any other normal activities and no one pooped out from a lack of rest. Besides the drinking of ‘nukes’, ‘girls’, Stellas, rum, and white Russians, food was cooked on the ‘barbi’ as the fire pit roared into a blast furnace each night, fueled by old couches and a piano, among other memories.

The birthday girl, one Keirah Robbins, brought us all up-to-date on her future career plans, read us her very personal poems, and took us all on journeys to Sea World, her two favorite Chinese food restaurants, and Lady of the Lake, the foremost ‘new age’ store in the valley. Parents and siblings joined the birthday expedition at times as did a few old scene artist friends like Franny and Chuck D.

The depth and intensity of the almost week long celebration could be glimpsed in the silence of the car that returned from the bus station at Keirah’s departure. While I am thrilled to see the life progress made by any of the scene regulars that I have come to know and care about, without a doubt, like Mary, there’s Something about Keirah that begs definition. In a way, ‘Alice’ doesn’t live here anymore and we all miss her, a lot.

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