Two men accused of committing felonies in the Santa Clarita Valley returned to court on Tuesday, receiving future dates to appear once again.
Monolito Guerra
Monolito Guerra is accused of shooting Deputy Albert White in the neck in Newhall on Nov. 28, 2017.
Guerra is set to return on Sept. 6 for a pretrial conference. During a pretrial conference, the involved parties establish timelines for concluding all pretrial activities, such as setting a tentative trial date, encouraging the settlement of cases, counsel trying to agree on undisputed facts or points of law, and more.
At the time of the incident, Guerra was on parole after serving two years in jail. A little over a month after his release, he was shot multiple times in a shootout with SCV Sheriff’s Station deputies.
The incident occurred after he allegedly shot White on Bottletree Lane, according to Lt. Joe Mendoza, of the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau.
White suffered a “through-and-through” wound, meaning the bullet left an entry and exit wound, and though he was initially hospitalized and listed in critical condition, he returned to work in 2018 after recovering from the injury.
Guerra was hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds following the shooting, being first taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital and then the USC Medical Center on Dec. 10, 2017.
He is being held in lieu of $5.75 million bail.
Jorge Panama
A Newhall massage therapist accused of multiple sexual assaults saw a continuance of his case in a San Fernando courtroom.
Jorge Panama, 56, has been accused by at least a half-dozen women of assaulting them where he worked, at “Massage Plus Healing” on the 22000 block of Lyons Avenue, according to sheriff’s officials.
The incidents are suspected to have taken place over several years, according to Sgt. Brian Hudson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Unit, noting one of the alleged victims came forward after the news reports of the previous allegations.
Panama was initially arrested on suspicion of an April 2021 allegation involving a former client, who was Panama’s second client to allege an assault.
Panama is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 24 for a prelim setting. During a prelim setting, the judge and opposing counsels agree on a date for a preliminary hearing — when the bench decides if there’s enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
Three years ago, a woman had reported to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station that Panama had assaulted her at his massage parlor.
After deputies carried out an on-scene investigation, they arrested the suspect, who was still at the location on Lyons Avenue, between Arcadia Street and Newhall Avenue. In the 2018 incident, charges were not filed by L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey due to insufficient evidence, according to detectives.
