CA - Sam Haskell, 35, arrested after woman's torso found in a trash bin in Encino LA, Tarzana, wife & two adult family members missing, 8 Nov 2023

[BlaiseFinlay]

I feel like LE really dropped the ball on this case in re: to the day laborers. They were turned away from the first station they went to and told to go outside the second station and call 911. It boggles my mind. It's not like they were reporting something frivolous. The first place could have said it's not our jurisdiction (or whatever the excuse was) but we will help. And then they should have initiated a call to their superiors and/or LE in the correct jurisdiction. I mean, it was bags (plural) of body parts. I really do think LE in multiple places blew them off because they were day laborers. I think some of the LE need to be reprimanded, as well as additional training on handling and prioritizing reporting. Imo.

Especially since day laborers are probably least likely to go into a police station to report something out of anyone. If ever there was a time to know something requires immediate attention, that’s the time.

 

[LinasK]

Especially since day laborers are probably least likely to go into a police station to report something out of anyone. If ever there was a time to know something requires immediate attention, that’s the time.

Yes, I fail to understand the need to stand in a parking lot and call 911 to report finding body parts. Seems like you should be able to walk into any police station in the Los Angeles area (even in the SF Valley) and report it. Aren't they all part of LAPD??? (Or maybe I've just watched too many episodes of The Rookie...)

 

[jash]

I don't think this has been posted yet -- the LAPD are doing an internal investigation regarding the runaround the workers experienced when trying to report what they saw.

LAPD looking into whether police turned away men who reported finding body parts

LAPD chief confirms inquiry into whether officers ignored a report that a suspected killer tried to get workers to remove bags of remains from his Tarzana home.

www.latimes.com

The workers ended up at the LAPD’s Topanga-area police station, where they tried to lodge a report at the front desk but were told to call 911. The officer at the station desk did not speak Spanish and couldn’t understand the day laborers’ story, according to police sources who requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
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[Chief Michel Moore] said he was concerned that the workers weren’t immediately helped at the station.

Asked whether there was any reason the desk officer couldn’t have simply taken a report on the spot, Moore said he “didn’t have one in my mind.”

“The desk officer has at his or her disposal the watch commander on scene, so the supervisor there, they have radio communications that they can summon, communications that issue or dispatch units,” Moore said.

 

[LinasK]

I don't think this has been posted yet -- the LAPD are doing an internal investigation regarding the runaround the workers experienced when trying to report what they saw.

LAPD looking into whether police turned away men who reported finding body parts

LAPD chief confirms inquiry into whether officers ignored a report that a suspected killer tried to get workers to remove bags of remains from his Tarzana home.

www.latimes.com

The workers ended up at the LAPD’s Topanga-area police station, where they tried to lodge a report at the front desk but were told to call 911. The officer at the station desk did not speak Spanish and couldn’t understand the day laborers’ story, according to police sources who requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
.
.
.
[Chief Michel Moore] said he was concerned that the workers weren’t immediately helped at the station.

Asked whether there was any reason the desk officer couldn’t have simply taken a report on the spot, Moore said he “didn’t have one in my mind.”

“The desk officer has at his or her disposal the watch commander on scene, so the supervisor there, they have radio communications that they can summon, communications that issue or dispatch units,” Moore said.

Not speaking Spanish is a ridiculous excuse, especially in LA. Really there was no one else available in the whole building to translate???

 

[Inthedetails]

Not speaking Spanish is a ridiculous excuse, especially in LA. Really there was no one else available in the whole building to translate???

Yes, it's time to fix that.

If there isn't a bilingual officer available in person in the building, one HAS to be easily accessible by telephone. I guess calling 911 was a way to reach a Spanish speaker by telephone, but the connection to a bilingual speaker should be handled by LE, not putting the burden on people reporting a crime.

It's a problem that can be fixed, fortunately.

jmo

 

[DFWNF]

Not speaking Spanish is a ridiculous excuse, especially in LA. Really there was no one else available in the whole building to translate???

I was just going to ask about that. Desk officers, I assume first contacts (maybe not) are not bilingual?

 

[LinasK]

I was just going to ask about that. Desk officers, I assume first contacts (maybe not) are not bilingual?

Don't know, but they should be. If it were someplace like North Dakota I could understand. The last two sherriffs of LA county have been Hispanic.

 

[DFWNF]

Don't know, but they should be. If it were someplace like North Dakota I could understand. The last two sherriffs of LA county have been Hispanic.

Absolutely they should be, shocking and outrageous to me IF that is not a requirement.

 

[BlaiseFinlay]

I’m curious how they found him so quickly.

 

[whiterhino]

Yes, it's time to fix that.

If there isn't a bilingual officer available in person in the building, one HAS to be easily accessible by telephone. I guess calling 911 was a way to reach a Spanish speaker by telephone, but the connection to a bilingual speaker should be handled by LE, not putting the burden on people reporting a crime.

It's a problem that can be fixed, fortunately.

jmo

They could have explained this to the workers though. Not sure why they couldn't have called from the station instead of being redirected.

I hope the workers are offered support and counselling if they need it.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Don't know, but they should be. If it were someplace like North Dakota I could understand. The last two sherriffs of LA county have been Hispanic.

Even rural America has access to language services by telephone. They are using that as an excuse which is another bad move.

 

[LNL]

Google translate is an option.

 

[vls12345]

Google translate is an option.

That's what I was thinking. It would at least be something to use until an official interpreter arrived. Imo.

 

[arielilane]

Haskell is being held without bail and his arraignment is set for December 8. If convicted he will face life in prison without the possibility of parole. DNA testing is currently being undertaken to determine the identity of the body parts. As of presstime, there has been no update on any concrete findings on the whereabouts of the missing family members.

Grisly Murder Shocks Valley - Valley News Group

November 17, 2023

 

[Inthedetails]

Haskell is being held without bail and his arraignment is set for December 8. If convicted he will face life in prison without the possibility of parole. DNA testing is currently being undertaken to determine the identity of the body parts. As of presstime, there has been no update on any concrete findings on the whereabouts of the missing family members.

Grisly Murder Shocks Valley - Valley News Group

November 17, 2023

And no updates about the missing vehicles?

 

[LaborDayRN]

I don't know how old you are, but over 55's are the ones who are still watching TV news and the L.A. Times (probably more TV than L.A. Times). OTOH, many of my friends have stopped reading much news, as we have enough to depress us already - you are brave!

I'm now curious where @imstilla.grandma found it! (Thank you, @imstilla!)

First article in the L.A. Times is on the 9th I think, so kudos to the L.A. Times - my DH says he saw the headline but didn't read the article (not a true crime fan and the headline just mentioned dumpster and "Hollywood" connections, which wouldn't have caught my eye immediately, either)

I have said I live "near" the crime scene, but in L.A. that means I'm about 15 miles away. I have family that lives less than 2 miles away, though, so have visited there often. If the headline had said Encino or Tarzana I would have immediately clicked. It's a mostly affluent area. I couldn't possibly afford to live there. I have friends who are renting 2-3 bedroom apartments in the area for $4000/month, all of them one-income families. The Jackson family lives and still partly lives in Encino; this was a 4000 sf "mansion" (to me it is, our house is 1500 sf). It had so many rooms! The murder/suicide of Phil Hartman and his wife Brynn took place in the same area, but generally, it's a lower crime area of Los Angeles. The crime that does occur is often related to burglary and nearly everyone has cameras and garage door openers and garages they can actually drive their cars into, at least as far as I've observed (have gone to get togethers at colleague's houses and know my family members' neighbors a bit).

I'm glad that the kids have one set of grandparents left. This is so tragic.

IMO. (Thanks to you, RN, because now I'm reading the L.A. Times again!)

LOL. I'm not really brave but am of the age you described and the sister of the 3 time emmy award winning L.A. news writer. I guess it's in my genes.

 

[Chimera]

Sorry graphic :

By now, they should have ID'd the woman's torso, correct ?
I'm assuming it was his wife.
I feel badly for those children, they now have no one.
If there are relatives on the mom's side, they may not even have met them ?
So, like strangers ?
Maybe not, though.
Any relations on the dad's side whom they can trust ?
Omo.

 

[LinasK]

Google translate is an option.

That's exactly what my husband pointed out.

 

[whiterhino]

Sorry graphic :

By now, they should have ID'd the woman's torso, correct ?
I'm assuming it was his wife.
I feel badly for those children, they now have no one.
If there are relatives on the mom's side, they may not even have met them ?
So, like strangers ?
Maybe not, though.
Any relations on the dad's side whom they can trust ?
Omo.

Idk but am waiting for the thread title to change. Hopefully the extended relatives (mothers side) of the children can be there in some capacity.

 

[BlaiseFinlay]

Human remains were just found in North Hills of a male, believed to be related to a missing person’s case. A number of people had the same thought I did that it could be related to the Encino case. Preliminary, it seems to be unrelated, but we’ll see what unfolds.