Posted on 12/23/2006 5:00:42 AM PST by radar101
San Diego police Officers R. Gutierrez, left, and Vernon Kindred deliver flowers for the slain officer at the Oceanside Police Station on Friday. The officers said they were in the area and decided to pay their respects.
Jenny Quezada, front, and her mother Connie Marsteller visit the memorial for the slain officer at the Oceanside Police Station Friday.
OCEANSIDE ---- Oceanside police officials said Friday they have arrested a second suspect in connection with the fatal shooting Wednesday of police Officer Dan Bessant in the northeastern edge of town.
A 16-year-old Oceanside boy was arrested Thursday night after he was detained for questioning, police officials said Friday. Police also said they arrested a 17-year-old Oceanside boy Thursday morning. They have not released the name of either boy.
Oceanside police Chief Frank McCoy said Friday that the motive for the shooting is not known.
"The investigation is ongoing and our goal is to make sure every stone has been turned over," McCoy said. "We are going to continue our efforts until we feel we have exhausted every lead out there."
The district attorney's office is reviewing the evidence and will decide Tuesday morning whether to file charges, said Deputy District Attorney Tom Manning.
He said if charges are filed against either or both of the boys, the arraignment will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Vista Courthouse. The district attorney's office will have to decide whether to charge the boys as adults, Manning said.
"We are still waiting for reports and evidence," Manning said Friday.
On Friday evening, an Oceanside resident said she saw 10 to 12 police cars with emergency lights on rushing to Gold Drive in the area of the shooting.
"They did serve a search warrant related to this case," Sgt. Leonard Mata, police spokesman, said later.
He said he didn't have any more information.
Earlier Friday night, Bessant's family issued a statement through the Police Department.
"Dan loved being a cop, and he was a good one," the statement said. "He was a great husband and Daddy who enjoyed spending all of his free time with his family. Dan was a lot of fun to be with and he was liked by everyone. He will be missed by many."
The statement also said the family would like to "extend its gratitude to the community" for the outpouring of support as the family copes with its loss.
Funeral arrangements were announced Friday through the department.
A public viewing has been scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Ambassador Family Church at 1602 S. El Camino Real in Oceanside. Funeral services open to the public will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at New Venture Christian Fellowship at 4000 Mystra Way, also in Oceanside. A private reception will be held after the service.
Oceanside police officers will meet at police headquarters at 3855 Mission Ave. for the procession that starts about 9 a.m. to go to the New Venture Church.
Officers from other agencies will meet at the Westfield Plaza Camino Real mall before joining the procession on Highway 78.
In addition to financial contributions, many residents have brought flowers to the police station and the site of the shooting, McCoy said.
Police officials said they are touched by the support and condolences received in the wake of Wednesday's shooting.
"The outpouring of support from the community has been tremendous," McCoy said. "It's been great to see the community pull together with the Police Department during this tragic event."
Bessant was shot Wednesday, police say, at the intersection of Gold Drive and Arthur Avenue near Vandegrift Boulevard in northeast Oceanside after responding to a request for backup from Officer Karina Pina. She made the call at about 6:20 p.m. Bessant died after being airlifted to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.
Police officials said several shots were fired at the officers, from behind and from as far as half a block away. They said that a bullet struck Bessant in his left armpit, which was not covered by the protective vest he was wearing.
There were strong indications Friday that the suspects may have been gang members.
Manning, the lead prosecutor on the case, is assigned to the North County Gang Unit in charge of gang cases. Moreover, the neighborhood of the shooting ---- near the back gate of Camp Pendleton ---- has been the flash point for several gang shootings in recent years, including the shooting death of 16-year-old Rusty Seau in June 2005.
Bessant, 25, graduated from Oceanside High School and lived in the city with his family. He had been involved with the Police Department since 2000 and was hired as an officer in 2003.
Tim Felkins, 23, said Friday that Bessant had been a friend of his since the two met as teenagers. Felkins said he remembers taking trips out to the desert with Bessant, who enjoyed driving his truck off road.
"Dan was always the funny guy around the campfire telling jokes all night," said Felkins. "He was a guy everyone loved."
Bessant also enjoyed fishing and was a great cook, said Felkins, who went to North Coast Church with Bessant and his family.
The Bessants have been active for many years at the church on North Melrose Drive in Vista, a 6,000-member evangelical congregation, Felkins said.
"Everyone is just in shock," Felkins said when asked about Bessant's family. "(His wife) seems to be doing OK, and she said she is just taking it one step at a time."
Felkins said the Bessant family had received tremendous support from the Police Department, neighbors and friends.
"The officers are focused on their jobs, but there is an attitude of sorrow," McCoy said. "This has definitely opened up old wounds."
Bessant is the second Oceanside police officer shot and killed in the last three years. Officer Tony Zeppetella was fatally shot on June 13, 2003, during a traffic stop gone bad.
Adrian George Camacho, a five-time convicted felon and twice-deported illegal immigrant from Mexico, was convicted of first-degree murder in Zeppetella's death and is now on California's death row.
Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood said the Zeppetella shooting had given the city an understanding of what's ahead of it.
"We know it's going to be a long, tedious process," Wood said Friday. "It would be an understatement to say the mood in the city is sad."
Since the shooting on Wednesday, city officials have said they will try to do everything possible to help the family. Wood said the event had affected the morale of many residents in the city.
"Everyone was very upbeat about the holidays, and this was like a bomb that dropped and totally changed everyone's attitudes," Wood said. "I have found myself forcing myself to try to be happy so the city can try to celebrate the holidays despite the sadness."
FR rules prohibit me from posting what I am thinking.
That's one bad area!
Some real mean mexican and somoan gangs.
I am so mad and upset, I can't think of any words to post that would pass scrutiny.
I just hope that they find the gun that matches up with the bullet!
Without that they haven't got much to hang them with since it was a long range sniper shot.
They might have to search a lot of houses since probably every one of them has guns in it.
The cretin, slug punks they have arrested are what...15 and 16? What's the most severe punishment that can happen to them if they're found guilty? I am so damn livid.
They will try them as adults and they could get the death penalty.
Tried as adults = GOOD.
Death penatly = 630+ on Death Row. They'll be 45 and 46 at the earliest.
True, then they will set on death row as very expensive guests of the state for the 20 or more years.
"then they will set on death row as very expensive guests of the state for the 20 or more years"
Better than 60-70 years if given life without parole plus life on death row is a lot more isolated and miserable than in the general population.
How terrible. He was too young to die. I hope they execute those who are guilty. It is good that he was a Christian! Being a Christian is the most important thing that anyone can do on earth. His family will find peace in knowing that he was saved. Prayers have been sent for all of his loved ones. May God comfort them.
Certainly: The thinking is hire the gang bangers and they wont shoot their friends.
What these people want is a Mexican Police force that takes bribes to look the other way while these gangs Burglarise their homs , or to have the police be lookouts while the gangs rob and stael.
They want mexican Border Police who are more criminal than the criminals.
They might get what they ask for.
Heck, we can't even get Mexico to extradite over 300 Mexicans who killed police officers here in California and fled south of the border.
Two U.S. Border Patrol agents will be spending 11 and 12 years respectively, in prison, for shooting a Mexican drug runner IN THE BUTT at the border.
Several incarcerated drug runners were just pardoned by Alberto Gonzales's DOJ.
Connect the dots, amigo.
The suspect in the Long Beach police shooting has not been caught yet.
Oceanside is a long ways south of Long Beach; maybe 75 miles...?
Two completely separate communities. The two police officers shot in Long Beach remain in critical condition in hospital. The police officer shot in Oceanside was killed.
Last Saturday, a San Francisco police officer was shot and killed.
That's all, in case you're trying to keep track.
Well, that's all I know.... there's probably more.
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