Movie grip murder suspect arrested (Freepers friend's daughter witness)

Long Beach News ^ | 1/23/2004 | By Associated Press

[alexandria]

Movie grip murder suspect arrested

By Associated Press

Police on Thursday arrested a movie grip suspected of murder, kidnapping and rape after he attempted to escape officers by leaping from a second-floor apartment.

Paul Alan Ott, 35, of Los Angeles, was taken into custody at about 1:30 a.m. at a Hollywood apartment complex, police Sgt. Lamont Jarrett said. Ott was held on $1 million bail.

Police believe the heavily tattooed Ott killed a woman found in a parked sport utility vehicle, and kidnapped and raped another woman who led police to the body, police spokeswoman Adriana Sanchez said.

A third woman came forward Thursday to claim she was kidnapped by Ott but managed to escape, authorities said. Police also asked for other possible victims to come forward.

Officers fired at Ott as he fled early Thursday, but missed. He was treated at a hospital for injuries from falling from the second-floor apartment, and specific charges will be determined after he is out of the hospital, Sanchez said.

The body of Edith I. Mejia, 42, was discovered Monday in an SUV parked in the carport of a Van Nuys apartment building. The cause of death was unknown pending an autopsy, the coroner's office said.

Mejia's body was found after a woman told police that she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by the driver of a sport utility vehicle, authorities said.

The woman, whose identity was not released, went to a nearby apartment complex and cried through a door for help, authorities and witnesses said. She was barefoot, scantily clad and had duct tape on her wrists and ankles.

She told officers she had been attacked by a man who took her to an apartment building where he forced her to help him place a dead body into the back of an SUV, authorities said.

The woman managed to escape after she was left bound in the apartment, police said.

[alexandria]

Just got off the phone with a friend of mine who was quite shaken up. It seems that this man passed a card to her 16 year old daughter recently at a bus stop. he gave her the usual spiel, "you would be great in the movies, do you want a ride somewhere?" Thank god she did not fall for it. She told her mom about this encounter and my friend got the card from her and called the guy and asked him about the encounter. He started asking why SHE was calling instead of her daughter, then asked how old she was. After my friend said she's only 16 and does NOT accept rides from stranger’s ever, the man wisely begged off saying he thought she was older and would be someone he might want to date ya-da, ya-da.

Now here's the REAL interesting thing, he had his 2 small children with him. This is a "heads-up" to all the women out there from my friend who says, "trust NO one you do not know, ALWAYS be suspicious of strangers being too nice, and finally be aware of your surroundings."

[OldFriend]

This young lady was lucky. There may be other victims not yet found.

[Seruzawa]

Looks like he lost his grip. (Bada Boom!)

[netmilsmom]

Wow!!!

[gr8eman]

Movie grip murder suspect arrested

Is that Kung Fu movie grip?

[xp38]

From the IMDB movie glossary.

Grip

In the USA, a grip is a person responsible for the adjustment and maintenance of production equipment on the set. Their typical duties include laying dolly tracks or erecting scaffolding. In the UK, grips work exclusively with equipment that the camera is mounted on. Contrast with swing gang, see also key grip.

Grips are basically roadies of the movie business.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I guest this guy isn't in the running for best boy anymore.

[alexandria]

Grip
In the USA, a grip is a person responsible for the adjustment and maintenance of production equipment on the set. Their typical duties include laying dolly tracks or erecting scaffolding

Yes, rumor is that the man worked on the set of "Friends."

[polemikos]

Freepers friend's daughter witness)

Does she know Kevin Bacon?

[CyberAnt]

Well .. I wouldn't be calling the guy .. I would be taking the card to the police and having them get fingerprints off it .. and then the phone number would have led them to the guy. I would never call somebody suspected of doing a crime .. alerting the criminal is a very risky business.

[alexandria]

They didn't suspect him of criminal activity just because he tried to "pick up" on her and gave her a card.
It was after he was arrested and the fact that he was a "movie grip" that made them realize that he was also the one that had given her the card.

It is also a possible tool for detectives, that my friend has contacted, to use to pin down his movements and ensure a conviction. They will be meeting with detectives already by now and I'm sure that both will testify if asked.

[CyberAnt]

I think you missed my point.

The mother should have taken her daughter and the card directly to the police. The mother should never have called the guy. Now he has her telephone number (if she has not blocked him from being able to see her phone number) .. and with that telephone number he can now get her address .. how stupid is that!!!

[alexandria]

The mother should have taken her daughter and the card directly to the police.

Are you mental? You seriously suggest that every time a guy tries to pick up on a girl who may actually look older than her true age (don't they all now days) that they should be reported to the police? There was no suspicion that this man was involved in any type of crime, in fact quite the opposite. He had two small children with him, dressed nicely, and was very polite. The only part that seemed "suspicious" was the "you ought to be in pictures" line.
She would not have accepted the ride under any circumstances, this girl had been thoroughly drilled about strangers and the dangers that they can present. However there are girls that for lack of care WOULD have based on his appearance
The mother should never have called the guy. Now he has her telephone number.. and with that telephone number he can now get her address .. how stupid is that!!!

(You ARE mental....) Not a chance though, it's blocked.

[CyberAnt]

Geeee .. thanks for the rude comment "mental". People only do that when they think they're losing the argument!

Any adult male who stops a young woman on the street (regardless of how the male is dressed or how nice the male acts or whether or not he has children with him) should be considered suspect. And .. for him to make a statement like "you ought to be in pictures" should have been a red flag. Fortunately, to the young girl it apparently was.

However .. if more women had made a police report after being acosted by this type of person .. we might have a lot fewer serial deaths.

Besides .. how do you know the police weren't looking for the guy already .. how do you know the police hadn't had other women complaining about this guy ..?? You don't! And .. that's the problem.

This was not a guy trying to pick up a girl .. this was a predator on the prowl.

Whether or not the girl would have accepted the ride is totally immaterial. I'm just thankful the girl did not .. otherwise we could have been reading about her.

[alexandria]

Geeee .. thanks for the rude comment "mental".

And thank YOU for the "how stupid is that" comment in your prior post.

Any adult male who stops a young woman on the street.. and However .. if more women had made a police report after being acosted by this type of person

He did not STOP her on the street and "accost" her. If that had happened then yes, my friend probably might have contacted the police.

Whether or not the girl would have accepted the ride is totally immaterial

Yes weather SHE would have accepted the ride. My thoughts were tuned more towards warnings for other girls that might not have been so stranger aware.

[af_vet_1981]

Give him a fair trial and a fast hanging.
I can hardly wait for his supporters to show up on this thread ...

[af_vet_1981]

This was not a guy trying to pick up a girl .. this was a predator on the prowl.

He needs to be put down like a mad dog.

[CyberAnt]

I was not saying "how stupid is that" to YOUR ACTIONS. I was commenting on the stupid actions of a person calling someone who has approached your child on the street (thereby allowing that person to find you).

YOU on the otherhand were calling me specifically "mental".

BIG difference!!

[alexandria]

Give him a fair trial and a fast hanging.

Sigh... we only wish that it would be a "fast hanging." If only we still had swift justice in this country instead of the 10-15 year paid lodging plan.

[af_vet_1981]

Sigh... we only wish that it would be a "fast hanging." If only we still had swift justice in this country instead of the 10-15 year paid lodging plan.

Plus retirement. You forgot about their pension plan.