When we have finished, Jackson says to Angela, “Have you ever seen this weapon before?”
“No,” she says.
“Did you know it was here?”
“How could I if I’ve never seen it?”
That stops him. It takes a second before Jackson says, “Ma’am, would you mind coming to the station with us, so the detectives can ask you some questions?”
It’s a delicate moment. If Angela pushes back and says no, he will make it clear to her that he can have her arrested for possession of an unlicensed handgun, as it was found in her room. He will then, most likely, have to cuff her. I hate the idea (it burns inside me; I want to be the first one to put her in cuffs, and only when we’re alone and she has begged me to), but it isn’t my show anymore. I have to stand by and see how it plays out.
She looks to Jackson, and then to me, and I’ve never seen any girl look so beautiful as she does right now: helpless, confused, vulnerable. Everything I’ve ever wanted. It’s obvious how much she needs a protector, a real man, me. I send her a mental radio frequency that the best thing to do is come in, clear up that it isn’t her gun, that she’s never seen it before in her life.
We go almost a minute standing there before she says, “I’ll come in voluntarily.”
PART II
DOCUMENTS FORMING THE BASIS FOR ARREST OF SUSPECTS
Documents create a paper reality we call proof.
—MASON COOLEY
THIS is a taped statement of Angela Alvarez, who resides at 11365 Virginia Avenue, Lynwood, California 90262. Miss Alvarez has a date of birth of 09/16/75. Statement was taken at the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, Firestone Park Station. Present is Detective Montero, who conducts the interview. Present also is Lieutenant Judith Sakamoto-Hirsch for purposes of observation. Today’s date is December 7, 1993. The time is approximately 1315 hours.
MONTERO: [Inaudible] … starting the tape. OK. The time is 1315 hours. Present is Detective William F. Montero, Badge number 38621, and Lieutenant Judith Sakamoto-Hirsch, if she would please identify herself for the record?
SAKAMOTO-HIRSCH: Judith Hana Sakamoto-Hirsch, Badge number 33109.
MONTERO: Thank you, Lieutenant. OK. I want to state for the record that, Miss Alvarez, you are not in custody, you are free to leave at any time, and neither are you being charged or held in relation to a crime. Do you understand?
ALVAREZ: Um, I understand.
MONTERO: Good. Please state your full name for the record.
ALVAREZ: Angela Carla Alvarez.
MONTERO: Thank you. And what’s your date of birth, Miss Alvarez?
ALVAREZ: September sixteenth, 1975.
MONTERO: Do you have a current place of employment?
ALVAREZ: Tom’s Burgers, but I’m studying to be a nurse too.
MONTERO: That’s real good. What nursing school are you doing that through?
ALVAREZ: It’s an ROP through Lynwood High.
MONTERO: And what’s an ROP?
ALVAREZ: Regional occupational program. It’s for geriatric care.
MONTERO: And how long have you been doing that?
ALVAREZ: Um, about a year? I think it’s six months to go now. After that, I take the licensure test.
MONTERO: I see. Do you reside at 11523 Virginia Avenue in Lynwood?
ALVAREZ: Yes.
MONTERO: And how long have you lived there?
ALVAREZ: Prolly I’ve lived there thirteen years now, since 1980?
MONTERO: Do you currently live alone at the Virginia Avenue address?
ALVAREZ: No.
MONTERO: Since you don’t live alone, who lives with you?
ALVAREZ: Um, Omar and Jacob.
MONTERO: Would that be Omar Tavira and Jacob Safulu?
ALVAREZ: Yes.
MONTERO: And do they go by the street names Wizard and Dreamer?
ALVAREZ: I don’t really know if I can say about that. To me, they’re just Jellybean and Jacob.
MONTERO: Jellybean?
ALVAREZ: When Omar was little, his favorite thing in the world was them. It’s like a family nickname, I guess.
MONTERO: OK. Are you aware that both individuals are involved [inaudible] gang here in Lynwood?
ALVAREZ: I don’t ask about that stuff. It’s not really my business.
MONTERO: OK. Look, how long have you known Mr. Tavira and Mr. Safulu?
ALVAREZ: Um, I’ve known my cousin his whole life, since he’s younger. Jacob? I’ve known him since prolly five years ago now.
MONTERO: And when did Jacob Safulu move into the Virginia Avenue address?
ALVAREZ: About a year ago.
MONTERO: Are you sure about that?
ALVAREZ: Yes. We got together right before I started nursing school, and he moved in pretty soon after that cuz his mom ran off.
MONTERO: When was the last time you saw Omar Tavira and Jacob Safulu?
ALVAREZ: I haven’t seen Omar since Wednesday, but I’ve been going to work and school, so it’s not all that unusual if we miss each other.
MONTERO: And when was the last time you saw Jacob Safulu?
ALVAREZ: Last night.
MONTERO: Last night, Monday, December sixth?
ALVAREZ: Yes. We were together.
MONTERO: And how long were you together last night? Did he leave your company at any time?
ALVAREZ: He left just before nine-fifty.
MONTERO: [Inaudible] at nine-fifty p.m.?
ALVAREZ: Yes.
MONTERO: And how come you know the time exactly, Miss Alvarez?
ALVAREZ: I left some food in the microwave. I meant to eat it before, but we ended up getting into this big talk, so I didn’t. After he left, I went into the kitchen and got it, and I looked at the time before I opened the door of it, since it has the clock right on the front.
MONTERO: [Inaudible] talk last night. How was Mr. Safulu acting during the time he was present?
ALVAREZ: He was acting fine until I broke up with him.
MONTERO: You ended your roughly yearlong relationship with Mr. Safulu last night?
ALVAREZ: Yes.
MONTERO: And how did he react to this news?
ALVAREZ: He was real quiet. He just took it.
MONTERO: Was this unusual behavior on his part?
ALVAREZ: Um, I guess so. Yeah. I’d never broken up with him before, so I can’t really say …
MONTERO: Are you aware that Lucrecia Lucero was shot at approximately nine-thirty last night in Lynwood?
ALVAREZ: No. I wasn’t. But … wait. If you’re trying to say what I think you’re trying to say, it wasn’t Jacob and it couldn’t have been. We were still together then.
MONTERO: Are you certain you were together at that time, Miss Alvarez?
ALVAREZ: A hundred percent certain.
MONTERO: Is it possible you were emotionally upset and not remembering the time correctly?
ALVAREZ: No. I was hungry. I wanted my mac and cheese and I saw the time then.
MONTERO: Do you recognize this gun?
ALVAREZ: I only recognize it cuz I saw it getting carried out in a clear baggie at my house today.
MONTERO: It was collected during a search of the premises. Is that correct?
ALVAREZ: Yes.
MONTERO: And who performed that search?
ALVAREZ: My cousin’s parole officer.
MONTERO: Was it unusual for this parole agent to search the house?
ALVAREZ: No. He’d searched it before. Like you said, Omar’s on parole.
MONTERO: How many occasions (inaudible) did the officer search the house?