 |
| L.A. SHERIFF'S SWAT team members crowd behind an armored truck as a Sheriff's canine unit is led to a house on 4156 Aralia Rd. in Altadena during the search for suspect James Edward Mosley. (Staff Photo by WALT MANCINI) |
22 deputies, SWAT team in failed nine-hour stakeout
By Emanuel Parker
Staff Writer
ALTADENA -- In an unusual show of force, the Sheriff's Department assembled more than 22 deputies and a SWAT team at Alta Loma Park in Altadena in an unsuccessful search for a man they said was involved in a Wednesday morning gang-related shooting.
Deputies said James Mosely, 32, of Los Angeles, is wanted on suspicion of attempted murder. They staked out a house on Aralia Road in Altadena for nine hours and, as darkness fell, exploded eight tear-gas canisters inside the house, but Mosely wasn't there.
Deputies allege Mosely fired two shots at an unidentified person in the 4100 block of Rising Hill Road at 8:30 a.m. Both shots missed and witnesses told deputies Mosely ran to a nearby home in the 4100 block of Aralia that deputies said belonged to his mother.
Deputy Darien Harris, a Sheriff's spokesman, described Mosely as an African-American male, 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He said he lived in the Main Street area of Los Angeles.
Asked about the overwhelming response to the shooting, Harris said:
"This was a suspect who matched the description of someone who is armed and had already fired on at least one person on Rising Hill. We didn't know exactly whose house that was. We didn't know if he was still armed, and the public could be in danger and we were going to take every measure to make sure the public's safe up here in Altadena."
Harris said as far as he knew, Mosely was wanted only in connection with the Wednesday shooting and he didn't know if he had been convicted of other crimes.
Deputies set up a command post at Alta Loma Park and SWAT team members and deputies in more than 23 squad cars gathered there while squad cars blocked Aralia at Canyon Crest Road on the south and at Gravelia Street on the north.
The houses on both sides of and across the street from the one where Mosely was supposed to be hiding were evacuated. A squad car and armored vehicle stationed themselves in front of the house and armed SWAT members wearing body armor crouched behind them peering at the house.
At 3:40 p.m., SWAT members used a bullhorn to identify themselves and ordered Mosely to raise his hands, come outside and surrender. When no one responded, they ordered whoever was inside to pick up the phone. When that too failed, SWAT team members patiently waited in the rain for darkness to fall.
At one point, a SWAT team member with a dog went up to the house and released the dog at the house. Then, around 5:30 p.m., SWAT team members entered the house and set of the tear gas canisters. The search ended shortly after 6 p.m.
-- Emanuel Parker can be reached at (626) 578-6300, Ext. 4475, or by e-mail at emanuel.parker@sgvn.com.
