Opinion ID: 1447881
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defendant's Arrest and Inculpatory Statements

Text: On November 29, 1984, defendant was arrested on charges unrelated to this case and transported from the Alhambra police station to the San Bernardino County sheriff's station. Following his arrest, defendant made certain statements to sheriff's investigators relating to the November 15 killing of Brown.
On November 29 and 30, 1984, defendant told Sergeant Rod Hoops of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and Deputy Michael Griggs of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that he was present when Maxine Brown was killed, but that he did not kill her. [2] Defendant told the deputies that at 6 p.m. on November 15, 1984, the night of the killing, one Frank Hillhouse picked him up at his Los Robles residence in the victim's car. Defendant thought that the victim, who was seated in the front passenger seat, was someone who owed Hillhouse money and that Hillhouse was trying to collect on his loan. Hillhouse picked up a third individual, whom defendant did not know but whom he described as a bushy-haired biker. Hillhouse then drove to the First Baptist Church parking lot, where the biker began striking the victim on the head with a knife. Hillhouse dragged the victim out of the car and shot her. Hillhouse, the biker, and defendant left in the victim's car. The next day Hillhouse used the victim's credit cards.
On December 1, 1984, Deputy Griggs returned to the San Bernardino County sheriff's station, accompanied by another deputy, and again interviewed defendant. The deputies tape-recorded the interview. [3] When Deputy Griggs confronted defendant with the inconsistencies between his prior statement and the evidence collected during the investigation, including the statements made by Ringey and Kimble, defendant said, Well, I'm guilty. I did it to her. He then related the following: He went out to pull a robbery, and drove to a parking lot in Alhambra, where he saw the victim, Maxine Brown, leaving her car. Armed with a .357 magnum handgun, defendant ran up to her, ordered her back into the car, and drove away with her because he couldn't leave her there to call the police. Defendant drove to a North Hollywood pizza restaurant, which he intended to rob. He abandoned his plan when he saw a police officer sitting in the restaurant. Defendant then tried to get money with Brown's automated bank teller card. At the first bank, defendant used a set of access numbers that Brown had given him for the automated teller machine, but the numbers did not work. Defendant and Brown then drove to another bank. This time defendant ordered Brown to get the money. While keeping Brown within easy shooting range, defendant watched her push the teller machine buttons. Brown returned and told defendant that she did not have enough money in her account. Defendant looked at Brown's checkbook, saw there was $1,000 or $2,000 in her account and accused her of playing games with him. Defendant drove off again with Brown, not knowing where he was going. He eventually stopped in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church in Bassett. Defendant again asked Brown for her bank card access numbers, but she replied that she had already given them to him. Defendant ordered her out of the car. She did so, then said she needed her house keys. Defendant took the keys out of the car ignition and handed them to the victim; she handed back to him two keys and a gold diamond ring. Brown then got back into the car, saying she wanted her purse. Defendant replied that she could not have her purse because she would call the police. Brown said, Well, I'm gonna call them anyway. Defendant responded by hitting her on the head with his gun. Brown started crying and defendant ordered her to get out of the car. As defendant told the deputies, So she got out and she started walking and then she turned around and told me I'm gonna call the police and that's when I shot her. I jumped out and I shot her. According to defendant, he fired the first shot in Brown's general direction to scare her to try to get her to run. When the victim would not run, defendant, who was then outside the car, fired three or four more shots at her. Defendant told the deputies he wasn't really aiming to hit her, but just wanted her to start running. Defendant did not think he killed Brown, because she fell just like she'd fainted. Defendant then saw a man on a porch across the street, and took off in the victim's car. Defendant later took two credit cards and a watch from the victim's purse, and threw the purse in a dumpster.