3 in Family Arrested in Canoga Park Drug Raid

Narcotics detectives of the Los Angeles Police Department Monday night arrested a Canoga Park man, his 14-year-old sister and their mother after a raid of their home turned up supplies of cocaine and heroin, nine guns and a homemade bomb, police said Tuesday.

Police said they seized 1.8 pounds of cocaine and 19 grams of heroin with an estimated street value of $78,000. They also reported finding a small quantity of marijuana as well as an assortment of suspected stolen goods at the home, which officers described as the scene of open drug dealing in an upper-middle-class neighborhood.

Caller Sought Drugs

While police were at the home, someone called to ask that the 14-year-old girl bring drugs to school the next day, Detective Mario Mascolo said.

Police said Michael Spaccarelli, 23, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance for sale. His sister, who was not identified because she is a juvenile, was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale.

Their mother, Anna Spaccarelli, 44, was arrested on suspicion of inducing a minor to sell narcotics, Mascolo said.

3 Others Arrested

Three other persons, including a 15-year-old girl who police said apparently had just purchased 20 grams of cocaine at the Spaccarelli home, were arrested on drug-related charges.

Police said the 15-year-old told them she had paid $2,000 for the cocaine, which she said she had purchased for a friend. Police also took a 14-year-old boy at the home into custody as a runaway, Mascolo said.

Jack Dahan, 19, of Northridge, was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine. Guillermo Picasso, 19, of Van Nuys, was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale, police said.

Police said Dahan appeared at the residence during the raid and was arrested after he tried to purchase cocaine from a plainclothes officer.

All the suspects were taken to Van Nuys Jail.

Bail Revoked

Bail for Michael Spaccarelli first was set at $200,000, but he is now being held without bail on a directive from Municipal Court Judge Michael Luros.

Luros said he was acting on a request from police, who received information from an informant that Spaccarelli was a suspect in a double murder Sunday in West Los Angeles. But Lt. Randy Mancini said police had found no bodies or other evidence to confirm the murder accusations.

Anna Spaccarelli was released on $1,000 bail. Bail for Dahan was set at $2,500.

Bail was set at $1,000 for Picasso, who was found at the residence with 13 bags containing a total of about three ounces of marijuana, police said.

Tip From Sources

Officers went to the Spaccarelli home, in the 23000 block of Victory Boulevard, with a search warrant at about 7 p.m. after receiving information from two sources that drugs were being sold from the home, Mascolo said.

The police bomb squad was called to the residence soon afterward to defuse what authorities described as a bomb made from a propane gas cylinder filled with gunpowder, to which was attached a fuse, a shotgun shell and 15 rifle cartridges. Police also reported finding several explosive detonator caps.

Police said the street value of cocaine seized was $68,000, and estimated the value of the heroin at $10,000. They also reported seizing five handguns, two shotguns and two rifles. Two of the guns were identified as stolen, Mascolo said.

He said police also identified as stolen goods some of the 100 other items taken from the house, including jewelry and camera equipment.

Search at an S&L;

Early Tuesday, police served a second search warrant at a Canoga Park savings and loan, where they seized $40,000 in cash from a safe deposit box in the name of Michael Spaccarelli and $10,000 from a savings account also in his name, Mascolo said.

Mascolo said police do not believe that the mother took an active role in selling drugs.

During the raid, the telephone rang repeatedly with persons inquiring about drugs, Mascolo said. He said that once, with an officer answering the phone, a caller asked that the 14-year-old daughter be reminded to bring drugs to school the next day.