Melyda "Mel" Corado Los Angeles, CA --It all began as a dispute between a 28 year-old drug addicted freeloader, Gene Adkins and his 79 year-old grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Madison in South L.A.  Adkins allegedly shot his grandmother seven times with a handgun.  In the process a 20 year-old woman that was Adkin’s yet to be identified girlfriend suffered a bullet graze wound to her head. Adkins allegedly then stole his grandmother’s car and kidnapped the girlfriend.   Suspect Gene Adkins being loaded into an ambulance In Hollywood, the police caught up with the stolen car that was equipped with a GPS tracking device and the chase began.   Adkins soon crashed his car near the entrance of the Silver Lake Trader Joe’s and was exchanging gunfire  with police as he sought refuge inside of the crowded supermarket.  Apparently Adkins was wounded in his left arm by police.  That’s when the store manager, Melyda “Mel” Corado was also stru...

Santa Barbara, CA--Private Security is really more about deterrence, and loss prevention.  Bringing in drones is a perfect application for security contractors to rid their clients of burglars, sex offenders and vandals.  Of course homeowners associations can create their own in house program but it's generally not needed.  However there are times when criminals show up in soft target communities then it's time to call in a qualified security contractor with drones.   Wether it's a burglary or vandalism problem drones operated and flying at less than 300 feet can can easily observe and record the deeds.  Ground security and police can be quickly alerted to handle enforcement activities. Drones are excellent for all industrial security applications.  They can be sent up as needed to examine areas or for responding to various alarms and such.  Drones have been used to smuggle contraband into correctional facilities.  Actually those kinds of faciliti...

Westchester, CA —In this quiet  West L.A.  neighborhood three amateurish, hoodie and glove wearing African-American burglars invaded a home.   This is crime particularly dangerous because you will see in the video below that at least one of the thugs   is armed with a black semi-automatic handgun .   The burglars are using backpacks and their pockets to conceal the items that they are stealing. They got away with $20,000.00 in jewelry in this January 20th crime.  They cut the power lines to disable the home alarm and but were unable to defeat the home security and video system.    Remember for the most part the thugs were looking downward.  Well-lit rooms help with better camera resolution.    Keeping drapes open will help.    Most every residential burglary is a daytime operation. The victims are usually at work.    Your video security system should have its own power supply and the ability to send ...

Rebecca   Schaeffer  (November 6, 1967 – July 18, 1989) Los Angeles, CA —Celebrity brings the artists of our world fame, fortune and a lot of fun.  For every celebrity either male or female there is the very real threat of stalkers.  The more famous the star the more court orders get issued and reasonable security precautions must be made.   Most fans simply want to meet and express their admiration for the star’s work.  Some harmlessly dream of romance with their favorite celebrity but usually realize that’s impossible. There are those quirky souls out there that insist on being a part of some celebrities’ life.  Some of these twisted souls want power over their targets and seek to frighten them.  Unfortunately stalking often escalates into home invasions and even worse. In Arizona I have been requested to quietly deal with many stalkers that target TV new anchors and reporters.  Most of the victims are a...

Three men wearing tough guy black suits, but are they trained or just security theater?  Los Angeles, CA —As the Oscar Awards are presented the serious side of celebrity security is an important area of concern.  Today many entertainers and security professionals are discussing the dark side of the entertainment business. As a private investigator I've had to deal with numerous stalking cases involving celebrities in film, television and TV news.  I generally stick to threat assessment, background investigations, management and actual prophylactic contact with the offenders.   Except in special cases I leave the muscle work to others.   Celebrities are generally admired but sometimes for the wrong reasons by their fans.  When an actor makes the choice to expose their images and personal history for the general public it can pay handsomely.  It also sometimes comes with a price that can be painfully expensive and sometimes frightening. ...