Suspect Unable to Hide from Police

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, November 23, 1998

In the early Thursday morning hours of November 19, 1998, two men were attempting to jump start a car in the 1500 block of West 208 Street in Harbor Gateway, when a male pedestrian pulled a large revolver and robbed both of the men of their money and jewelry. The suspect was described as being well over 6’2" and very well built. He allegedly held the gun to the neck of one of the victims, while threatening them.

About five hours later in the same general neighborhood, in the 1600 block of Torrance Boulevard, a male described as being 6’5", 280 pounds, wearing the same clothing and using the same type weapon, allegedly followed a 50 year old woman back into her house after she had stepped out momentarily.

In this instance, the suspect terrorized the woman and two other females in the house, again placing the gun to their bodies and demanding they remove their jewelry and give him the cash in the house. Upon leaving, he again threatened them, reminding them that he now knows where they live and will come back and kill them if they did not stay where they were until he left.

Robbery Detectives from Harbor Detectives believed they knew who the unusually large suspect may have been and began to develop a plan to both identify and locate him.

Late Friday, November 20, 1998, the suspect was arrested by the Career Criminal Unit assigned to Harbor Area, after several of the victims made identifications of him in photographic line-ups.

The alleged suspect is identified as Damion Porter, age 25, a parolee released from prison in September, after serving four years for convictions of multiple counts of robbery.

The arrest occurred in the 1900 block of East 92nd Street, in Los Angeles. Several pieces of the victim’s jewelry are still outstanding. The cases will be presented to the District Attorneys Office in Long Beach, Tuesday.

The present incidents could result in a Third Strike situation should Porter be convicted.

Questions should be directed to Detective III Larry Kallestad, Harbor Detectives at (310) 548-7621.

For Release 11:15 am PST
November 24, 1998