City to Honor Heoric Efforts of Good Samaritans

September 6, 2001

 
What:
Press Conference to Honor Three Good Samaritans and the Memory of Murder Victim Teresa Duran
Who:
Devonshire Community Police Station Captain Joseph Curreri; Devonshire Operations Support Division Captain John Sherman, Representative of Councilman Hal Bernson’s Office, Surviving Children of Teresa Duran and Good Samaritans Earl Hendy, Don Benton and Michael SanchezWhen:
Thursday, September 6, 2001
4:00 p.m.
Where:
Devonshire Area Community Police Station
Los Angeles: On May 21, 2001, at approximately 6:10 p.m., Teresa Duran, a 56 year-old resident of Northridge, was brutally murdered at the hands of her ex-husband, Samuel Duran Sr., in the 8500 block of Vanalden Avenue. The suspect pulled the victim from her vehicle and began stabbing her repeatedly. During the course of the attack, three citizens intervened on behalf of the victim, exhibiting remarkable bravery in the face of extreme danger as they attempted to thwart the knife wielding assailant. The suspect abandoned the attack based on the collective actions of the three citizens; however, he could not be prevented from driving his vehicle over the helpless victim as she lay in the roadway. Despite the heroic intervention on the part of these citizens, the victim perished as a result of the vicious attack.
The suspect was apprehended the following day as he was preparing to make his escape. During the morning hours of Thursday, September 6, 2001, Samuel Duran Sr. will be sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole, in Department "E" of North Valley Court, located in San Fernando.
At 4:00 p.m. today, the Los Angeles Police Department will hold a press conference at Devonshire Station to honor the efforts of three community members for their courageous actions during the commission of a brutal murder. The community members are identified as Earl Hendy, Don Benton, and Michael Sanchez. They will each receive a Proclamation from the Los Angeles City Council, as well as a Certificate of Appreciation from the Los Angeles Police Department. The presentation will be conducted by Captain Joseph Curreri, the Commanding Officer of Devonshire Community Police Station, and Captain John Sherman, the Commanding Officer of Devonshire Operations Support Division. A field representative from Councilman Hal Bernson’s Office will attend the ceremony, as well as Donna Duran and her brother, Samuel Duran Jr., the surviving children of victim Teresa Duran.
For further information contact Captain Joseph Curreri, Commanding Officer of Devonshire Area Community Police Station, at 818-756-8281.
This press release was prepared by Public Information Officer Guillermo Campos, Media Relations Section, 213-485-3586.