Cop Killer At Large in Southern CA's High Desert

August 2, 2003 | self

[ArmstedFragg]

Yeah it was really hectic there for awhile.

It's easy to get fooled. As a rule, the guys who are actually doing it right don't have a reason to be on the radio.

For what it's worth, the AV units have a 11 prefix (114, for example), and the Santa Clarita guys are 60's.

The discussion about keeping the rotarys on is so the chopper can maintain situational awareness. It's dark as hell out there, and easy to lose sight of where the horizon is.

The apparently casual manner in which they're constructing the perimeter is because they know that if the guy hasn't gone to ground they'll be able to see him coming for quite a while. They'll just get the place completely surrounded, then probably bring in the dogs and start working the hangers one by one. Nobody's going to rush into anything.

[lainie]

I'm hearing infrared flir hotspot talk now. The air unit is not on a helo freq, but is on a-tac, and seems to be directing ground units (as it should be imo). A great solution to their situation. It's pitch black out there. It finally sounds like someone's in charge that knows how to be in charge.

You're right though -- the guys I heard scrambing in the dirt were not the front lines. I've heard a lot of ops on this scanner and I know a cluster when I hear it, but the money was at the real scene and keeping its mouth shut.

The crime scene (where the deputy was felled) and the aforementioned wash are probably four miles apart.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Nite....stay safe, lainie. Thanks for all of the information today. PLEASE ping me when this scum is caught.

[ArmstedFragg]

The crime scene (where the deputy was felled) and the aforementioned wash are probably four miles apart.

Thanks for the info. My 1987 Thomas Bros. doesn't provide a lot of information about that corner of the county, but I used to drive the 138 fairly frequently.

At this time of year and this time of the night, just about anything that absorbs heat will be a flir hot-spot. I was listening to that Monrovia feed for a while, which has A-Tac on it, but it's only a small portion of the situation, so your posts have been appreciated.

If they have a named suspect, and he's not someone who can scamper across the border, I figure it'll just be a matter of time: hours or days, doesn't matter much.

Nighty Night.

[Semper911]

Hey, I just read this whole thread and it's pretty interesting.

Do they have the K9s out there yet?

Nice work on the play by play.

[lainie]

I've heard the word "canine" a few times but it always seems to be in conjunction with phrases like, "where do you want them" and "does anybody want them." No cohesive, concerted effort.

I was actually wondering earlier about the differences between K9 Shepherds and Bloodhounds. They must have both?

[lainie]

I will certainly do that. I'm going to go catch some zz's myself. Locking all windows and doors first.

15 miles is a lot but it's only 15 miles.

Chat with ya tomorrow.

[lainie]

Brandy new Thos. Bros. map books still don't cover these areas well -- they're really remote. Most of the day, when looking for the mentioned routes, I was looking at page "xii" :-)

The midnight temperature is 69F. Day's highs were in the low 90's (cool for this time of year).

Here's hoping again for an ending. g'nite

[Semper911]

All I know is that bloodhounds can do amazing things with their sense of smell. Said to be as much as a million times greater than humans. But Shepards can be as good, I guess. And they can take the bastard down in nothing flat.

If they have some of those pooches out there, the perp doesn't have a chance.

I'll check in on this thread in the morning. G'night.

[ArmstedFragg]

All I know is that bloodhounds can do amazing things with their sense of smell.

There was an interesting story out of Ventura County a couple of years back involving a bloodhound brought in to track an abducted child. The dog led everybody to a freeway onramp, and after considerable head-scratching, they decided to give it a go so they hit the freeway, stopping at each offramp to let the dog out. Twenty miles down the road he alerted. There followed a trip down about five miles of surface streets, stopping at each major intersection to let the dog out. Finally, they got to a small house in a residential district and the dog led them to the front door. Sure enough, the kid was inside. All they could figure was that the abducter's car must have had some unique scent to the exhaust... And, for what it's worth, there's lots of stories of them providing no useful information whatsoever. Guess it's a matter of time and place.....

[185JHP]

It's said that a bloodhound can smell blood at a 2 mile distance.

[Fast5]

Been quite a while since any updates.

[jdontom]

bttt

[lainie]

I don't hear anything interesting yet. Don't know the status just from listening to scanner.

[lainie]

There's still a CP. atac's very quiet.

[lainie]

Victorville Daily Press story

[lainie]

The local paper updated. http://www.avpress.com/n/susty1.hts

LLANO - A routine trespassing investigation turned deadly for a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy who was shot and killed by an unknown attacker Saturday.

Deputy Stephen Sorensen, 46, was killed sometime around noon while checking a residence on 200th Street East for a suspected trespasser, said Los Angeles County Undersheriff William Stonich.

Little was known Saturday evening about Sorensen's killer and the circumstances of the deputy's death - the first Los Angeles County deputy to die in the line of duty this year, said Faye Bugarin, the sheriff office's public information officer.

Throughout the night, an army of law enforcement officers from across Southern California continued to swarm a wide perimeter around the shooting site looking for the killer.

Sorensen, a community deputy in Lake Los Angeles, was helping to plan the annual parade for the Lake L.A. Days Festival in late September when he left to investigate the alleged trespassing. About 11:30 a.m. he called his station to report he was going to the scene - a Llano residence with a trailer and outbuildings.

"He was always working on his days off," said Carl Deeley, captain of the Lancaster station. "He was doing that (Saturday)."

Deputies don't know much about the incident Sorensen was investigating. The trespass call was not reported into the sheriff's station, but Sorensen probably saw something suspicious or was told by some person in the community about the trespasser, Stonich said.

"It's not unusual up here with all the vacant land around," Deeley said, adding that people often contact the sheriff's department or a deputy because they see a person or a trailer on their land.

Usually a deputy will talk to the trespasser and land owner and try to find a resolution, Deeley said.

As the community deputy assigned to Lake L.A., Sorensen lived in the community with his wife Christine and his 3-year-old adopted child as a resident deputy. He responded to residents' request for help 24 hours a day.

Sorensen was a deputy for 12 years and Lake L.A.'s community deputy for three years.

"He had a partnership with this community, closer than anything I've seen in law enforcement," Deeley said.

But at 12:12 p.m. - 30 minutes after Sorensen called to say where he was heading - a neighbor called the Palmdale station and reported that he heard "approximately a half-dozen gunshots" in the area, Stonich said.

After that call, Lancaster and Palmdale station deputies raced to Llano searching for Sorensen. His patrol car was found outside the residence he investigated and deputies found physical evidence of a struggle.

But Sorensen was nowhere in sight.

"We found our deputy's vehicle," Stonich said. "We did not find our deputy."

His body was found between 1:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. approximately a quarter mile away from the where he and his killer apparently fought. Investigators did not know whether Sorensen pursued the suspect to that location or was dragged there after he was killed, said Stonich.

More than 200 law enforcement officers - on and off duty - then converged on Llano and the Lake Los Angeles area. Long trails of cars, with lights flashing and sirens blaring, flew up and down Highway 138 and Palmdale Boulevard throughout Saturday afternoon looking for the relocating command centers and offering any assistance needed.

"Anytime we have an incident that involves the murder of a law enforcement officer, then the suspect is at large, we're going to bring all our resources to bear," Stonich said. "Others voluntarily responded."

Deputies from all over Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties came to the scene. California Highway Patrolmen, California Forestry Service, and Los Angles County firefighters showed up. The bomb squad, search-and-rescue, SWAT teams and K-9 divisions traveled from one command post to another offering their assistance to find the suspect.

"Deputies who knew Sorensen well are deeply, deeply saddened," commented Stonich. "Everyone in law enforcement takes this hard."

Deputies combed the expansive, rocky desert terrain from Palmdale Boulevard to Highway 138 with three helicopters circling a five-mile radius looking for a suspicious person. Originally, the search was limited to the immediate area of Sorensen's disappearance, then the search spread throughout the desert.

"The most difficult part is not knowing exactly who that is we're looking for," Stonich said.

The suspect was still at large late Saturday and is considered armed and dangerous. No murder weapon was found Saturday.

No description of Sorensen's killer was available. Deputies are requesting that the community tell them anything they know about the incident.

They are especially interested in any information about what Sorensen was investigating and doing before he was killed.

Anyone with information regarding Sorensen's murder can contact sheriff's homicide at (323) 890-5500.

---

[lainie]

[lainie]

Just to update: There's not been much to report all morning. Now I'm hearing they're putting together a foot-walk detail, asking Santa Clarita for 20 more men to relieve these guys halfway through. They're going to cycle the men in and out of "radio cars" (is that the industry term for black-and-whites?) to give them relief. I guess they're going to try and walk every inch of as much desert as possible. The temp is 83F at 10:40.

Lunch has just been ordered for 50-75 personnel. The desk, whatever location it is, just told the CP that it's being inundated with calls from the public asking questions.

Mostly mundane admin stuff right now.

[lainie]

Mounted units joining the search.