January 22, 2015 

City News Service 

 

The Los Angeles City Council approved a total of $250,000 in reward offers today to help capture culprits in three murders in South Los Angeles and the serial rapist known as the Teardrop Rapist. The council approved a $75,000 reward to find the gunman who killed 17- year-old Bert Crump Jr. and injured Clifford Adolfo Williamson on Aug. 22. Crump, who was chased by an unidentified person from the intersection of Normandie and West Gage avenues, ran in the direction of Raymond and Gage avenues, eventually escaping into a car being driven by Williamson, who was passing by. Both men were showered with gunfire, with Crump suffering fatal wounds.

 

Williamson, who sustained a serious injury to the chest, survived. Crump’s mother, told the council “this has been a rough time in my life,” and she urged anyone who knows anything about who “took my only son’s life” to come forward.

 

“I can’t sleep at night,” she said.

 

Also approved was a $50,000 reward in the fatal stabbing of 62-year-old Maria Elena Rivas, who was attacked while walking west on Adams Boulevard near Catalina Avenue. She had been walking home from a Ralphs grocery store at 2600 S. Vermont Ave. LAPD detectives said no witnesses have come forward and they are working on a “very limited” amount of information. Meanwhile, a reward of $50,000 was renewed by the council to find the person responsible for the fatal stabbing of 26-year-old Roshon Davis on Jan. 29, 2014.

 

An attacker stabbed Davis as he stood at a bus stop northwest of La Brea Avenue and Coliseum Street. The injured Davis ran toward his apartment, but collapsed when he got to his rear gate and died later at the hospital. Authorities urged anyone with information about the three cases to contact the LAPD Criminal Gang Homicide Division at (213) 485-4341.

 

The council also re-instated a $75,000 reward to track down the serial rapist known as the Teardrop Rapist, who is suspected of sexually assaulting 35 women in the past two decades. Two council members also proposed rewards in two other cases that will be voted on by the council at a later date. Councilman Bernard Parks proposed a $50,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the hit-and-run death of 39-year-old Treva Arnold. The motion will likely be considered at Friday’s council meeting, a council aide said.

 

Arnold was struck while crossing Slauson Avenue at the intersection with Denker Avenue at 2:35 a.m. Jan. 4. The car that hit her was described as silver or tan and looked to be a Honda, Toyota or Volkswagen heading east on Slauson Avenue. Arnold died at the scene.

 

Anyone with information was asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department's South Traffic Division at (323) 421-2577 or (323) 421-2500. Councilman Curren Price proposed a $50,000 reward to find the person who killed 32-year-old Moses Nelson at 9 a.m. Nov. 23 near Slauson and Central avenues. Police said a male suspect riding a bicycle fired several shots at Nelson, who died at the scene.

Category: Business