SUNDAY, MAY 25

Sunday morning, just another usual day. We woke up early for church and I noticed a helicopter hovering in the area which appeared to be by the freeway close to Brenda and Mike's condo. That happens all the time so we thought nothing of it. Then half-way through chior practice I get a call from Brenda on my cell phone. They were awaken at 3 am by gun shots next door. They guy they share a wall with freaked out, came home drunk and beat up his girlfriend. She ran out of the condo and he chased her outside taking a few shots at her and the security gaurd. Brenda and Mike called 911. The helicopter showed up and they figured things were safe and went back to bed. Little did they know their next door neighbor was hiding out the other side of their bedroom wall with guns and amunition while the SWAT team was sealing off the area, closing down the 101 freeway and getting ready to move in. Brenda and Mike woke up about 9 with a SWAT officer peeking over their balcony. Surprised to see her, he told Brenda there were police officers at their front door to escort them out. They grabbed the dogs and left immediately, still in their pajamas. Somehow they ended up with the guy's dog for hours until the girlfriend came back to get it. The entire block was sealed off with police cars, detectives, and bomb squad vehicles. They found something in the guy's apartment that required the bomb squad and then everyone was kicked out of the place for most of the day.

This is the command post. Brenda and Mike were both pulled in for about 1/2 hour each to be interviewed by the lead detective.

The bomb sqaud truck. The squad could not go in for a few hours as they waited for a search warrant. Meanwhile, Brenda and Mike are in their pajamas on a cold overcast day. Not until I talked to a detective did he walk Brenda back to their condo to get some warmer clothes. The area was a "crime scene" and she could ot touch anything except to get her clothes.

Here they sit in front of the condo unit on Burbank Blvd.

They are being interviewed by a reporter from the Daily News. Mike is holding the pit bull that belonged to the guy and his girl friend. She asked him to hold on to the dog as she was being wisked off to the police station. It was supposed to be an hour but was closer to 3.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_9380414