Bakersfield's Helen of Troy?

da_wench

Monkey Junky Jr.

Offline

Posts: 968

Bakersfield's Helen of Troy?

« on: December 03, 2007, 06:26:47 PM »

11/06/07 - BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- An apparent home invasion Monday night ended with the homeowner shooting and killing the intruder, Sheriff's officials said.
Ulises Aaron Espino, 19, was shot to death after trying to force his way through a bedroom window into the Rosedale home of Steven Stewart. The shooting occurred at 9:40 p.m. in the 15000 block of Westdale Drive.

According to the Sheriff's department, Espino was driven to Stewart's house by Alberto Torres, 18, of Bakersfield.

When they arrived at Stewart's home, Espino tried to enter through a front window while Stewart was asleep. Stewart awoke and fired two rounds from a shotgun.
Injured, Espino fell back out through window and ran.
The injured Espino then made his way to the vehicle and was driven by Torres to Calloway Drive and Rosedale Highway. There, they called 911 and waited for an ambulance.
Espino, shot in the abdomen and lower torso, was taken to Kern Medical Center while Torres was detained.

Espino later died at Kern Medical Center.

According to a sheriff's report, Espino was in possession of a flammable liquid while breaking into Stewart's home and they appeared to be entering to set the home on fire.
Torres has been arrested for murder, attempted murder, attempted arson, participation in a street gang and conspiracy.

Last month someone fired a 12-gauge slug from Stewart's backyard in through his living room window. The slug went into the recliner he was sitting in, missing him by inches.
Sheriff's deputies have not related the two incidents and said the motive for last night's home invasion and shooting is unclear.

11/07/07 - BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Two more men have been arrested in connection with the shooting on Westdale Avenue in which a homeowner shot an intruder to death.
Sheriff's officials said two vehicles, each with two men inside, went to the 15000 block of Westdale Drive to set the home of Steven Stewart on fire.
An apparent home invasion Monday night ended with the homeowner shooting and killing the intruder, sheriff's officials said. Ulises Aaron Espino, 19, was shot to death after trying to force his way through a bedroom window into the Rosedale home of Steven Stewart.

According to the sheriff's department, Espino was driven to Stewart's house by Alberto Torres, 18, of Bakersfield.

Sheriff's officials said two brothers, Cesar Montoya, 23, and Jesus Delgado Estrada, 29, drove ahead of Espino and Torres to the home of Steven Stewart.
Montoya and Estrada are the cousins of Espino.

Once the two vehicles arrived on Westdale Drive, Montoya and Estrada pointed out Stewart's residence to Espino and Torres.

Espino tried to enter through a front window while Stewart was asleep. Stewart awoke and fired two rounds from a shotgun.

Injured, Espino fell back out through the window. He and Torres fled Stewart's residence and the two vehicles met in the area prior to calling 911 for Espino.
Espino, shot in the abdomen and lower torso, was taken to Kern Medical Center while Torres was detained.

Espino later died at Kern Medical Center.

Sheriff's homicide detectives and deputies from the Sheriff's Special Operations Group served a search warrant at Estrada and Montoya's residence at 1825 3rd Street, apartment C on Wednesday. A large sum of money and two firearms were seized, one of which had been reported stolen in 2006.

Montoya and Estrada were both arrested for the death of Espino, the attempted slaying of Stewart, attempted arson and conspiracy.

According to a sheriff's report, Espino was in possession of a flammable liquid while breaking into Stewart's home and they appeared to be entering to set the home on fire.

Torres has been arrested on charges of murder, attempted murder, attempted arson, participation in a street gang and conspiracy.

Last month someone fired a 12-gauge slug from Stewart's back yard in through his living room window. The slug went into the recliner he was sitting in, missing him by inches.
Sheriff's deputies have not related the two incidents and said the motive for Monday night's home invasion and shooting is unclear.

According to Bakersfield.com, Stewart said he isn't sure why he was targeted.

11/30/07 - BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Officials accuse pair of murder for hire plan
Sheriff's officers say a businessman is behind a plot to kill his wife’s ex-lover.
Bad blood between ex-lovers evolved into a cold-blooded plot to assault or kill a Rosedale-area man, the Kern County Sheriff’s Department said Friday.
Francis Giangrossi, owner of Coast Roofing, plotted with his stepbrother, Jim Skiba, a supervisor at the company, to plan a revenge attack on Steven Stewart for harassing Giangrossi’s new wife of three months, sheriff’s officials said in a news release. Giangrossi is known as “Fran” among people in the roofing business.

Stewart and the 41-year-old woman, who was not identified by deputies, were once involved romantically and had each made harassment claims against the other since their split, according to the department
The woman is identified as Madica Lynn Winchester, according to a Clark County, Nev., marriage record for her and Giangrossi. Authorities said they believe it was Winchester’s complaints about Stewart that prompted Giangrossi to seek revenge.

‘A fatal attraction-type thing’

Winchester’s complaints included her claiming Stewart got mad at her over a cell phone call on the night of May 20 last year, according to Kern County Superior Court records. Stewart choked her while keeping her from leaving his home, Winchester alleged in the court record.

She also alleged other abuse, such as Stewart attempting to cut her with a broken dish, giving her a black eye on three occasions and shooting at a wall above her head while she was sleeping, according to court records. She applied for an emergency protective order against Stewart.

The problem was Winchester wouldn’t leave Stewart alone and stalked him continually, said Stewart’s mother, Opal Stewart. She said the two had dated for about five years and had broken up about a year ago.

“She wouldn’t turn loose,” Opal Stewart said. “It’s what you call a fatal attraction-type thing.”

Steven Stewart claimed that Winchester followed him around and constantly walked around his home yelling obscenities and throwing eggs at his house, according to court records. He sought a restraining order against Winchester.
“She has stalked me for five years,” Stewart wrote in a court document. “I’ve tried to make this work and even volunteered to pay for counseling. She refuses.”

Arrangements for a hit

On Aug. 4, Winchester married Giangrossi, according to their marriage record.
Giangrossi’s stepbrother, Skiba, then contacted a Coast Roofing employee, Jesus Estrada, who agreed to make the arrangements for the hit for an undisclosed fee, sheriff’s officials allege in their news release report.
On Oct. 7, a shotgun round fired into Stewart’s house in the 15000 block of Westdale Drive barely missed him as he sat in his living room.
After the attempt on Stewart’s life failed, officials believe Estrada brought his brother, Cesar Montoya, and their cousin, Ulises Espino, into the picture.
Then about a month after the first attempt on Stewart’s life, Espino, 19, Alberto Torres, 18, Montoya, 23, and Estrada, 29, arrived at Stewart’s house where Espino broke in through the front window, according to Sheriff’s Department reports. Stewart, hearing the noise, fired several rounds from a shotgun at Espino, fatally wounding him.

A few days after the second attack, officials said Giangrossi, alone in his business at 3124 Patton Way, put a .38-caliber handgun to his own head and fired. He survived.

Thursday night, Giangrossi, 60, turned himself in at the sheriff’s Norris Road headquarters where he was arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder Stewart, murdering Espino and conspiracy.

Earlier that day, detectives, who had served a search warrant at Coast Roofing, arrested Skiba on the same charges when he showed up at the business.
Opal Stewart said her son was still nervous because he’s not sure if there’s anyone else who was involved in the alleged plot who hasn’t been arrested yet. He still won’t go back to work for fear of another attempt on his life.

Disbelief and shock

Family and friends of Skiba and Giangrossi expressed disbelief at the arrests.
“He’s my blood relative and I’m absolutely shocked,” said Larry Skiba, a cousin of Jim Skiba. “I haven’t seen the guy in years but he’s still family.”
Larry Skiba asked that his cousin be treated fairly because, even though he was arrested, he hasn’t been convicted of anything.

“I believe in the judicial process and I want to see how this plays out,” he said.
Rick Montoya, co-owner of BSW Roofing Contractors, said he employed Giangrossi for about 10 years from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. Montoya, who is not related to Cesar Montoya, said Giangrossi was a very likable person who got along well with everyone at the business.

“I could not see this in his personality,” Montoya said of the allegations.
“I don’t know the circumstances behind it and I want to give him the benefit of the doubt until everything is out in the open,” Montoya said.

Montoya saw Giangrossi for the first time in several years at a home show at the Kern County Fairgrounds a few weeks ago.

Montoya said Giangrossi was very upbeat and nothing about him seemed out of the ordinary. They talked about construction and how foreclosures have affected the Bakersfield economy.

“We were both hoping for a good 2008,” Montoya said.
Torres, Montoya and Estrada have been charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. Those men, and Giangrossi, declined to speak to a reporter on Friday.

Steven Stewart previously told The Californian that he thought the attack on him might have been caused by an ex-girlfriend. He offered a 2002 Harley-Davidson motorcycle as a reward for information about why he was targeted.
Steven Stewart did not return several phone calls and no one answered the door at his house Friday morning. He has said he began sleeping with a shotgun following the first attempt on his life.

The investigation is continuing, according to sheriff’s officials.

11/30/07 - BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The woman who police said saved the life of the man accused of hiring a hit man in a failed murder attempt has spoken out.

Shelby King said she doesn't care what was behind the reason why Francis Giangrossi attempted to take his own life. She said she's trained to help people and would do the same even if she knew everything behind the attempted suicide.

Police said Giangrossi, owner of Coast Roofing tried to kill himself several days after a failed attempt at hiring hit men to kill Steven Stewart, the ex-boyfriend of his wife.

During the failed attempt, police said Ulises Espino tried breaking into the home of Steven Stewart. Stewart shot Espino for attempting to break into his home, officials said. They said Espino fled but later died. Police said he left an incendiary device outside the window of the home where he tried to break in.
Police said Giangrossi may have been motivated by jealousy.
King said she was walking from her home to her mother's house along Patton Way when she heard screaming.

She ran into the Coast Roofing building, where a worker told her not to go in the back because a man had just shot himself.
King told the woman she was trained in first aid and went in to help. She was able to help save Giangrossi's life.

Giangrossi was released from a hospital last Friday but was arrested in connection with the plot to kill Stewart. Four others have been arrested, including the stepbrother of Giangrossi.

12/03/07 - BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Over the weekend ABC23 received a letter from Steven Stewart, the target of what police call a botched murder plot.

The alleged masterminds of the murder-for-hire scheme are scheduled to be arraigned in court this afternoon.

Almost four weeks ago, sheriff's deputies arrived on Westdale Drive after Steven Stewart said he shot and killed Ulises Espino for attempting to break into his home.

Friday, sheriff's said Espino and three other men were hired to murder Stewart and set his home on fire. The three men were arrested earlier this month.

Thursday night, sheriff’s deputies arrested Francis Giangrossi, owner of Coast Roofing, and his step brother Jim Skiba for hiring the men to kill Stewart. Deputies said the motive may have been jealousy.

They said Giangrossi is married to Stewart’s ex-girlfriend.

Deputies said at least one of the four men worked at Coast Roofing.

In the letter, Stewart defends himself against accusations of stalking and domestic abuse being leveled by his ex-lover, who he identifies as Madica Winchester.

Stewart claims in the letter that he never stalked Winchester. The letter also states that charges Winchester once filed against him for allegedly choking her were dropped once it was proved she lied about them. He also wrote that there was never a restraining order.
The letter also says he moved to the Westdale area without Winchester’s knowledge, but six months later she and Giangrossi moved to within one block of his home.

Stewart writes, “She used this man Giangrossi’s weakness and wealth to get me killed! This will be the truth in the end.”

Winchester married Francis Giangrossi, owner of Coast Roofing, who police believe hired the men responsible for the attempted murder of Stewart.

Five men have been arrested in connection with the alleged attempt on Stewart’s life.
One was killed by Stewart, police say.

Police say Giangrossi later attempted to commit suicide at Coast Roofing. A woman passing by helped saved him.

Giangrossi and Jim Skiba are set to be arraigned on first-degree murder, attempted murder and conspiracy charges this afternoon.

The letter:

I don't stalk and never have.
Madica has used these accusations to her advantage with Law Enforcement for 5 years.
The charges were dropped once she was PROVEN to be LYING.
There is no restraining order. It is a COURT ORDER that never was removed, even when MADICA herself made repeated calls to the D.A. to get it removed.
I was instructed by MY attorney to NOT file a restraining order for fear of making her CRAZIER.
Afterwards I moved to Westdale without her knowledge to HIDE from her and 6 months later she moved in 1 block from me with Giangrossi.
She has STALKED ME for 5 YEARS.
I have PROOF!
She has NOTHING!
If you are TRULY interested in JUSTICE and FAIRNESS you will INVESTIGATE ALL of this and publish the TRUTH and not RUMOURS.
Please HELP ME.
Please check her phone records.
Please check MINE.
Please as EITHER of US to PROVE what we say.
PLEASE?
(Signed)
She used this man Giangrossi's weakness and wealth to get me killed! This will be the truth in the end.
P.S. my purpose for choosing the Shotgun was for its devastating stopping power AND its inability to penetrate my surrounding neighbors homes. Anything else seems selfish to use.


	Logged

I know where Avery is, but WHERE'S CAYLEE?

da_wench

Monkey Junky Jr.

Offline

Posts: 968